


What if that night Chris and Street hadn’t stopped at just a kiss, what if they went further? (AU)

by laanrepa



Category: S.W.A.T. (TV 2017)
Genre: Chris/Street, Christina 'Chris' Alonso/James 'jim' street - Freeform, Confusion, Dan 'hondo' harrelson, David 'deacon' Kay, Dominic Luca - Freeform, Drunk Sex, F/M, Family, Jealousy, Love, Romance, Stris, Victor Tan - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 71,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22158280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laanrepa/pseuds/laanrepa
Summary: Chris and Street have a one night stand, that leads to the same if not worse awkwardness/guilt than what they are experiencing right now. Begins as canon, diverges to AU. I do not own these characters Christina “Chris” Alonso and James “Jim” Street, or any other characters from the series S.W.A.T.  (CBS) .
Relationships: Christina 'Chris' Alonso/James 'Jim' Street
Comments: 103
Kudos: 223





	1. That night

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the first fic I've ever posted. I used to write a long time ago but the computer I had back then got damaged and I lost all my old fics that I never posted. so I hope you enjoy this, its a bit long but hopefully I'll have it finished soon. I was only going to post it when I had the whole thing finished but I decided to take a chance and give you guys the first couple of chapters. 
> 
> this story picks up during the scene in 2x20 when Chris and Street kiss.

If we were to speak the truth, Chris had imagined this more times than she would care to admit. There wasn’t enough alcohol in the world to cover up every single feeling she was experiencing right now. No matter how she might justify it later, that bottle of whiskey only uncovered what was already there. Why had she waited so long to do this? Her inebriated mind could not find reasoning anymore. It was his scent, she couldn’t resist it. When she hugged him to say goodbye she hadn’t been able to resist the urge to burrow her nose in the crook of his neck and really inhale it, it was intoxicating. And then when he put his forehead against hers all she could think about was how close his lips were, she couldn’t stop staring at them, her gaze just kept falling to them. That’s when she just couldn’t contain her desires anymore, so she leaned in and kissed him. Chris had never been a romantic, so you imagine her surprise when she felt actual sparks when his lips touched hers, for the first time in her life she could relate to those cheesy romantic stories she always made fun of. She felt transported to another world, completely disregarding what this action would mean tomorrow, right now she really could not care less.

When Chris was the one who showed up at his and Luca’s house to check on him, Street couldn’t say he was surprised. Over the past two years he had become best friends with Chris and she was the only person in the world he felt completely in sync with. Of course, she had no idea that he was absolutely, irrevocably in love with her, almost from the second he laid eyes on her. It had taken him a very long time to acknowledge that what he felt for Christina Alonso was love, but once he did, it was impossible to ignore it. But he had so much respect for her and their team that he wouldn’t even fantasize doing anything that could put her career or their spot in the team in jeopardy. He knew where she stood, even Tan had warned him that even if Chris felt anything for him, she would never act on it, or tell him unless they were no longer teammates. And now after all this time, Street had accepted his place in her life, all he wanted was to make sure that she was happy and safe. He was her confession booth, her sounding board, a shoulder she could always cry on, and she knew he would always watch her 6, even if she didn’t ask for it. So when Chris burrowed her nose in his neck, and sighed, an inebriated Street was unable to stop his imagination from going to places he tried to avoid. It felt so right to have her in his arms like that, she fit perfectly. He felt like the luckiest man in the world that the toughest woman he has ever met felt so at peace in his arms. He had never felt a love like this before. And then as she pulled away and they pressed their foreheads against each other and she thanked him for always watching her 6, he noticed her staring at his lips. At first he thought he must have imagined it but she seemed to keep doing it, her gaze just kept going there. His felt his heartbeat speed up and rise within his chest, as he saw her tentatively leaning in, and on pure instinct he did the same. WOW, when her lips crashed in his, it was better than anything he could’ve ever imagined. Street felt actual sparks from that simple contact, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander as to what it would feel like to be even closer to her. His hand slid up her arm to hold her face in place, he never wanted to let this kiss end.

When Street put his hand on her face, Chris felt reality hit, but it wasn’t enough to pull her out of the drunken spell his lips had sparked. Say whatever you want about Street and his disastrous love life, but damn was he a good kisser, Chris could forgo oxygen if it meant she’d never have to pull away from him again. However her survival instinct kicked in and she pulled away slightly so they could catch their breath. It seemed like Street was also getting back to reality as he realized what they were doing and started to apologize “Damn Chris, I’m sor –” but that’s about all he could get out as Chris kissed him again to shut him up. She knew that they had crossed a line, but that little voice was so deep down in her unconscious right now, that she chose to ignore it. All she wanted was to live in the moment, for once in her life.

This time Street didn’t argue, or second guess his actions as much. He was too inebriated, like Chris to listen to his conscience at the moment, all he needed to know was that Chris seemed to want this just as much as he did. This second kiss was a lot less cautious, it was passionate, full of want, full of desire. So with all inhibitions aside, Street decided to test the waters and deepen the kiss a bit further, letting his instincts guide him. As he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her as close as he could, while his tongue begged for entrance to her mouth. Chris took this as a taunt and she had always been competitive, ‘ two can play at this game’ she thought.

Suddenly Chris had pushed Street back without breaking their kiss so she could straddle him, as she brought both hands up to his hair to pull him even closer to her. In a short moment of clarity Street became more aware of how exposed they were as they played this dangerous, questionable game. He knew Luca would be home soon, or one of his neighbours could catch them in the middle of whatever it is they were doing. So in one swift move, street picked Chris up as she wrapped her legs around his waist, and carried her inside the house to his room never once breaking their kiss. They could figure out how to deal with the consequences later, but the last thing he wanted right now was to get them into trouble… well more trouble than they were already in. What was that saying he always heard? ‘ _lo proivido es lo mas querido_.’ ( it’s the things you can’t have that you covet the most. ).

If they were honest, they both wished that maybe going into Street’s bedroom would’ve been what broke the spell, and made them realize what they were about to do. However that was not the case as they were too drunk on each other at that point to stop themselves. Once the clothes started flying off, there was no going back.

What a difference an hour can make in somebody’s life. You never really realize it, until you experience that golden hour, that completely shifts your existence.

That night Luca came in around midnight. The only thing he noticed out of place when he got home was the empty bottles of beer and Whiskey that were still sitting on their picnic table. He was tempted to stop by Jim’s room to find out if he was ok, as it had been a particularly difficult day for him from what he’d heard. Jim hadn’t always been open about his problems with his mom but after getting kicked out of SWAT he had almost lost Luca’s friendship from that break of trust. In order to rebuild it, they had started this new phase of their friendship / roommate relationship by trying to be always maintain an honest dialogue about their personal troubles. As Luca approached his room, he realized Jim was not alone that night and decided their talk could wait until the morning… and it’d definitely be more juicy now that Luca also had another topic to discuss.

Chris would be lying if she said that was not the best sex of her life, but now that it was over, and the lust cloud had worn off, reality hit her like a ton of bricks. Although she hadn’t fully sobered up yet, she began to question if everything that had just happened was real, or just a biproduct of severe intoxication. As they both laid in Street’s bed panting, buck naked and staring at the ceiling, regret ran through them like waves. “I… I think I drank too much whiskey” Chris whispered, as she began to gather her garments that were all over the room.

“sorry, Chris, I’m sorry” Street said as he got up to help her, trying to keep himself from staring at her as she was still naked.

“no, no, uh no, its uh … woah” she almost tripped on Street’s jeans that were laying on the floor, street caught her wrist and stopped her from sliding on them. Chris quickly pulled away as she averted her gaze. “it’s um, that was.. um.. that was my fault”. She quickly redressed herself, and looked for her phone. “it’s no one’s fault” Street who was now at least wearing underwear replied, as he passed her phone over to her. “I have to get home” she said as she quickly pulled up the uber app. She turned around and slightly opened his door to make sure the coast was clear, so she could step out of his room. “let me get you an uber” Street whispered as he grabbed his phone and followed her out of the house. “no no no, I got it, I got it, I got it, look uber” she said as she quickly showed him she had already ordered one on her phone. “you sure?” he asked as she walked towards the gate. “yup, I’m good” she said as she looked him in the eyes one last time (she might have also quickly given him one last lookover as he was still just in his underwear… maybe added a mental picture to a secret file she keeps of him deep in the back of her mind) before walking away from him for good. Once she got in the uber she realized she had no idea where to go, but she couldn’t go home just yet.

Street stood by the door staring after her for a while before he realized how chilly it had gotten that night, and how exposed he was. The weight of their actions now lay heavily in his shoulders, as he realized if he felt this guilty, he couldn’t even imagine what Chris must be going through. Shit… they really fucked up tonight. It would be a lie if he said he slept at all that night, despite being extremely exhausted.

Chris decided to head to Huntington beach that night. For some reason, she always ended up at that pier when she had some sort of emotional turmoil. It had been her haven ever since she was a child and her family had celebrated her 5th birthday there, one of the happiest memories from her childhood. As she sat in a park bench she suddenly couldn’t fight the urge to break down and cry as she heard the waves hit the beach. It was a harsh tide tonight, seems like the sea was in sync with her soul.


	2. ...the aftermath

Around dawn Chris realized she had made a choice, she had to move in with Ty & Kira, she had to give them a chance. Sleeping with Street had been a fluke, a drunken mistake. She had been overwhelmed with emotions and street had been there, just like he always was, and he had comforted her. She had always found him to be extremely attractive, she had never denied that to herself, although she’d never admit it out loud to him because the last thing he needed was an ego boost. So of course when the situation presented itself, while alcohol deprived them of their inhibitions, their physical attraction to each other had taken over. But it was a mistake. She really cared about Ty & Kira and they had given her a happiness she had never found in any of her previous relationships. They made her want to try this whole domestic thing, and she wanted to commit. Of course, this was all new to her, so when they asked her to move in, it really threw her off, made her spiral a bit. Although deep down she doesn’t fully regret their night together, the guilt of the circumstances surrounding it was eating her alive. She wished she could take it all back. Specially the pandora box that this opened between her and Street. How could she un-ring that bell? How could she face him, and be around him while still maintaining a good relationship at home with Ty & Kira. This had just gotten so much more complicated.

  
  
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Street was a complete mess that morning, but one thing he knew for sure was that last night had been a mutual thing. If nothing else, last night was prove that Chris felt something for him too. Today was a day off for 20 David, so he would not be seeing her that day, and as much as he was itching to go find her and talk this out, he knew she needed time and space to process it.

Luca had gotten up early that day to walk Duke, and had decided he wanted to have an active day so he went to check if Street wanted to join him. Luca had definitely not forgotten about the night before and he was ready to interrogate Street until he was satisfied. It was not normal for Street to bring a girl home; he was the kind of guy who usually went to their place, not brought them home to his. Luca had never judged him on that, as it was usually easier if the girl lived alone, instead of having to bring them over and introduce them to his roommate. It was also safer for them, since working with SWAT already put a target on their backs, and their home had a lot of weapons. So last night was definitely out of the ordinary, but Street had never been the serious relationship type of guy, his nickname was playboy for a reason, so Luca was mostly just curious.

When Luca knocked on his door, Street suddenly realized he wasn’t sure if Luca had heard or noticed anything about what went down last night. When Chris had left he had barely registered that Luca’s car was now parked in their driveway but that was all he remembered. Street began to panic while he considered how to explain it to Luca, if he had heard them… they had tried their best to be quiet, but it turns out that Chris is loud. Suddenly he was having flashbacks to the night of passion he shared with her, never in a million years could he have imagined that he would actually get a chance to show her how much she means to him… let alone go all the way with her. Luca knocking again snapped him out of that train of thought, he realized he hadn’t answered yet, so he pulled on a shirt and answered the door.

“Morning Playboy” smirked Luca as Street came out of his room.

“seems like you didn’t get a lot of sleep last night” Luca’s smirk was now a full blown shit eating grin as Street turned beet red.

“… I don’t know what you’re talking about” Street replied.

“ you know, for a guy who’s worked in multiple undercover ops, you have no poker face, seriously how are you still alive?” replied Luca… “ also I think you know exactly what I’m talking about… no wonder you never made it to the fundraiser, so where did you meet this one? And how come you brought her home? I thought you had a strict policy about not bringing your one night stand girls from the internet to the house because then they know where you live”

“Ok, first of all, my poker face is unbreakable, and I’ve fooled you before with it, you just haven’t figured it out yet, also I chose not to go to the fundraiser after I finished dealing with the stuff regarding my mom, who is still missing by the way, so thanks for asking” Street replied, hoping to guilt trip Luca into dropping his investigation on what happened last night.

Luca suddenly felt guilty for not starting with the thing about his mom, but he was not oblivious to the fact that street had just tried to casually brush off last night’s situation. “what happened with your mom, did those credit card charges give you any new information about where she might be?”

“not really, so I followed that last credit card charge to a motel, where I found a man around my mom’s age who was using that credit card. However when I showed him the picture of my mom he had no idea who she was, and said the woman who gave him the credit card under my name did not look anything like my mom, or anyone I recognize. He gave me a name though, from a tattoo this woman has in her arm, so hopefully she has a record or something so I can track her down, but I’m worried about what this might mean regarding my mom, and the people she might have gotten involved with” Street replied

“wow man, I’m really sorry you’re dealing with that, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help, or to track her down. You know 20 squad is a family and we all got your back” said Luca while giving street a big bear hug.

“also don’t think I didn’t notice how you changed the subject there and didn’t answer my questions about the girl you brought home last night” Street grabbed a piece of bacon from the stove and ran towards the bathroom as he called back “sorry Luca, somethings are for me to know and for you to never find out, you know I don’t kiss and tell” .

Luca just laughed and shook his head as he called back “ since when?! You ALWAYS end up telling us your crazy hookup stories!”

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

During that day off Street and Chris had both done their best to clear their heads before they had to go back to work and face each other. Of course that had proved to be more challenging than they expected when they finally came face to face at HQ. Street had noticed that Chris couldn’t even look at him anymore. To make matters worse their next shift had taken a turn for the worst when a civilian was killed during a raid to catch one of metro’s most wanted Bakir Hadad.

Both Street and Hondo were in hot water as their team was under investigation for the death of a young woman. And Chris… well she was angry. Angry at herself for what happened that night, angry at the world for complicating her life even more than it already was, angry that Street was in trouble AGAIN, and angry that she felt absolutely useless this time, because there was nothing she could do to protect him. She was also so confused, she had no control over her emotions right now, which was dangerous in her line of work. She almost lost it when her captain came to check in with her and asked if she was ok. She still doesn’t know how she kept her cool, but at least she was honest and admitted she was not ok. She couldn’t stop herself from worrying about Street, he was her best friend and she knew how hard he had worked to make it back on 20 squad. She also couldn’t stop herself from staring at him and trying to gauge what he was feeling, just what could be going through his head.

Meanwhile, Street had so much on his mind that this was the cherry on top. Just as he finally manages to get back on SWAT, he’s suddenly under severe scrutiny by force investigation (FID) over this infraction they were being blamed for. This was way more complicated than it had to be, and it was too much for them both.

When they found out about the hidden cameras in the apartment where the woman died, Chris was ready to forgo this possible evidence because she was scared that it would be the final nail in the coffin for Street’s career and she just couldn’t lose him again, at least not at work. However she realized that this internal conflict over what happened that night only had one solution… she had to distance herself from Street. Whatever it was that they had between them, was scaring her, and she couldn’t deal with it. The fact that she had wanted to hide/ ignore evidence and that she had been under so much turmoil and emotional distress because of one person was new and way too intense. And most importantly she had never been a cheater… until now, something that was really tearing her apart. The only fact she needed to focus on is that she was with Ty & Kira, and they were in a serious relationship so she had to give them a chance. But the only way she could do that is if she put everything that felt for street back in that pandora’s box and hid it deep in her mind, and in order for it to stay hidden she had to distance herself from him. There was no other choice. But he didn’t seem to understand what she was going through… he kept trying to approach her and she wasn’t sure how to tell him about this decision she had made. She wasn’t able to avoid him for long however.

At the end of their shift as she was stopping in the kitchen for some tea before she headed home… (aka Ty and Kira’s apartment which she had just moved into - another source of anxiety for her with all this turmoil in her mind) when Street came in. the tension in the room suddenly palpable

“hey” Street said.

“hey” she replied as nonchalant as possible, while staring at the wall, still facing away from him.

“…are we going to talk about-“ Street began.

“nothing to say” Chris said in a final tone as she turned while keeping her gaze on her tea, not wanting to look at him directly. She leaned back against a tall table and Street came around to stand right in front of her.

“you hardly even look at me anymore” street said with a tinge of sadness. Chris immediately looked up but gave him a blank hard stare, trying her best to hide everything she was thinking and feeling.

“ok” she said in the deadest tone she could muster, she really couldn’t let him see how much this was affecting her, so she had to numb herself.

“that night … I thought that was a mutual moment that we had… was I wrong?” Street said, and suddenly she could see all his emotions on his face. He was being vulnerable for her, he was being honest, and it was too much… she couldn’t deal… and for a second her ice queen shield faltered and she showed some of her emotions too.

“I didn’t mean to cross any lines” street said.

“except we did… me more than you, and I’ve felt guilty ever since.” Chris couldn’t help but be vulnerable too, and let him see for a second how all those feelings were haunting her.

But this was it, she could only allow this moment of intimate honesty last a second as what he said next felt like the bucket of ice she needed to pull off the band aid.

“I’m sorry, its not going to happen again” Street told her as he stared at her intently.

“I know” she replied sadly looking down again.

“I promise you”

“I know.. I know it’s not going to happen again because I moved in with Ty and Kira” she continued, and suddenly she felt the need to look back up and see how he felt, how the words that had just left her mouth were being taken.

“because of me?” Street asked quietly and confused… the reality and pain of what this meant was starting to seep in.

“No, because of me” Chris said and she could feel Street retract more than see him as he suddenly looked down… this was making her sick but she had continue, he needed to hear her explanation.

“it made me realize that I really needed to commit to them, a hundred percent… you and me, we’re teammates, that’s all”

Street definitely felt like he’d just been sucker punched when she said that.

“we’re more than just teammates… we’re friends” Street replied but his heart was already broken. It was in this moment that he realized just how bad he had it for Chris...why did this hurt so much?

“it can’t be like that anymore Street… it wouldn’t be fair to them” Chris had felt Street’s heart break and her own was right behind his.

“I don’t have a lot of friends.. I trust you.. with my life” Street replied. And for a moment she wished she could take all of this back, but she realized this was the right thing to do… she was not right for him, she was a mess and he deserved better. Chris had made her bed, and now she had to lay in it.

“I’m always going to have your back on the job, but that’s where it ends from now on.” Chris replied. She wished with all her soul that he could understand why she had to do this, why this was the best move for both of them as she stared deep into his eyes. (why did he have such beautiful eyes?). This was too much, she could see how hurt he was and she couldn’t look into his eyes anymore or she would break down crying.

“ I have to go” she said as she looked down and began moving away. “they’re waiting for me” she took one last quick look at him as she saw him nod almost imperceptibly. As she got closer to the door she thought she had managed to make a clean getaway when she heard his voice.

“they’re not right for you” Street said, knowing he had to speak up, he couldn’t leave things like this. She stopped and turned to face him but didn’t say anything. “I just.. I don’t want you to get your heart broken” he continued.

 _Damn you street!_ Chris thought… she had pretty much just chattered his heart, and yet here he was worried about hers. This hurt worse, because it’d be so much easier for her to walk away if he was angry or an asshole, but no.. he had to be the sweetest, most understanding man on the planet. She couldn’t help a small smile that came up as she replied “not your problem Street… I’ll see you tomorrow” and she left.

As soon as the door closed Street stumbled back and leaned against the counter. He wanted to cry but this was not the place to do it. He gave himself a couple of minutes to calm down and regain his composure before heading back to the change room and grabbing his stuff so he could head home. That night Luca had invited Tan and Deac over to the house to celebrate the arrest of Hadad. So when Street got home and saw their cars in the driveway he realized he didn’t have the energy to head in and pretend he was ok, so he headed down to Huntington beach, a place he frequented when he needed to process things. After finding a secluded area where he could get the privacy he craved, his tears flowed out and he spent the next two hours crying. It’s like all the emotions he’d felt over the past couple of years were finally coming out and demanding his full attention. After he managed to clean himself up a bit and pretend he was feeling better he headed back to his and Luca’s house hoping the others had gone home. Which thankfully they had, and it seemed like Luca was out walking Duke, so he had the perfect window to sneak in unnoticed. Street went straight to bed, as the exhaustion of this emotional rollercoaster day finally hit. When Luca got home and saw his bike he went to check on Street but saw he was passed out on top of his bed fully clothed, with his shoes and jacket still on. Luca got his shoes off and threw a blanket on top then turned out the lights. He assumed the stress of the FID investigation had been too much and Street just needed a good night’s sleep. When Street woke up the next morning, he was thankful for having such a kind considerate friend and roommate like Luca.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love positive feeedbaaack ! also I didn't have anyone spell check me, so if you catch any grammar issues please let me know so I can fix them!


	3. so close yet so far

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is probably one of my weakest chapters, I've written most of the story already but I had left a space where I wanted to add a bit more canon from those last 3 episodes in season 2 which is this chapter. so enjoy! definitely more to come!

Knowing that he would never be able to share what happened with Chris or get Luca’s advice, Street just felt guilty all the time now, like he had secretly broken everyone’s trust again, and if they found out it would be the end of him in 20 squad. Having nobody to talk this over with was hard enough, but having to control his emotions at home as well, was getting too difficult, when he felt like a ticking time bomb… at any moment he could burst into a crying fit once again. So a couple of nights later Street decided to head over to his old apartment instead of Luca’s house so he could get the privacy he needed, maybe a good cry or moping hour and hopefully him being there also led to some new information about his mom’s whereabouts.

Of course just his luck, the next morning as they were briefing in black betty on their way to their active shooter situation, Luca had to bring up that Street hadn’t come home the night before, which led to the awkwardness between him and Chris to get even worse. Since no one else on the team knew about their fallout they’d come to a silent agreement that they’d act as if nothing had happened. That of course meant that they still sat next to each other in black betty, but it was all appearances. He’d never felt further from Chris than these past few days, even if she was just seated a few inches away. A wall had gone up and he had no idea how to break it, or if he wanted to. However Luca’s comment seemed to disrupt it momentarily as Chris perked up and seemed eager to know what happened when she heard what Luca had said. Tan, not one to miss on an opportunity to make fun of Street, jumped in on the teasing as he asked “really? someone finally swiped right, and gave you a pity date?”

“No, I-“ Street suddenly felt the compulsion to look at Chris and try to explain, only to find her looking at him. As soon as their eyes connected however she looked away, trying to brush off that he’d caught her. They both snapped out of it quickly when Deac interrupted the conversation to continue the briefing as they had just received new info on their suspect.

Chris sent one more look his way, this time she looked disappointed, she couldn’t decide if it was her or him that the disappointment was directed at, but this was not the time to be thinking about this as she could not afford a distraction with an active shooter on the loose.

Later that day as they had just gotten back to HQ Tan, Street and Chris were making their way to the situation room when Tan decided to get more info on where Street had spent the night.

“so Street if you weren’t on a date last night, where were you?”

Before Street could muster up an answer however, Captain Cortez called out to Tan and asked him to help out with the shooter’s wife who was in her office. Leaving Street alone with Chris. Once again he felt the urge to explain to her what had really happened so he decided to give her the full story.

“actually I uh.. been staying at my mom’s apartment the last couple of nights hoping she’ll show up… nothing yet”

When Chris heard that she released a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. Of course, he was doing something selfless once again, how could she have thought otherwise. Here was Street once again, proving he was the greatest man… guess the disappointment she had felt was mostly directed at herself for being such a bad friend to him. How could she have forgotten everything he shared with her that night, before everything else that happened he had poured his heart out as he shared with her his biggest fears, and really confided in her about the situation with his mom. She was an idiot. But still, she had made a decision, they couldn’t be as close as they used to be, and she couldn’t get overtly involved once again. So she reverted back to her nonchalant, ice queen persona.

“good luck with that” she said as she attempted to make her escape from the conversation.

“hey” Street said in a serious tone, making her stop and turn to him.

“when are we.. I mean when are we going to talk about all this awkwardness between us?” Street said a bit frustrated.

“we’re not, we’re just going to do our jobs” Chris replied and turned away from him and walked away, her face reflecting her internal turmoil the second she was no longer facing him. This was so much harder than she realized. It was like she was breaking her heart and his, every time she had to take one step further away from him. But this was the right thing to do, she reminded herself.

And street was once again ready to cry, the one friend he had, that he could share anything with, and just be himself with was Chris and now that she had ditched him, he had nobody to turn to.

When Street found his mother a few days later, his world crumbled even further. She was barely a shell of the woman he thought he knew. But one thing was for sure, he was done making excuses for her bullshit and shitty parenting. He couldn’t make any more excuses for her, she had to face the consequences for her breaking her parole, he’d already broken the law by not saying anything to her parole officer when he saw she might be using again. That being said, he loved his mother, despite all her flaws and manipulation, so seeing her like that in that drug den really broke his heart. It specially hurt when she confused him for his deadbeat dad, Eddie. He didn’t know how to do this without Chris support. He really didn’t want to spiral again, and Chris had been the only one that had managed to get to him the last time something like this happened. It broke his hear even further to report his mom and have her put back into custody, even if he knew that was what was best for her.

Chris had seen something was up with Street the past couple of days, but she had no idea what it could be, he just seemed sadder than he had been lately. Which said a lot since he’d been as heartbroken as she had been ever since their fallout… maybe even more. She couldn’t help but try to be physically close to him, hoping that at least standing next to him would somehow convey how much she cared for him and comfort him in some way. She wondered if this had something to do with his mom, and kept fighting the urge to pull him aside and ask him to spill on what was troubling him so much… it wasn’t her place anymore. But still this was driving her insane. Ever since that night she seemed to be even more hyperaware of his presence, and it both comforted and unnerved her how him being in the same room as her could take her literal breath away. At some point since they met, Street had become her person, and she hadn’t realized how much she needed him. This whole situation was killing her slowly. To make matters worse, Chris would now consciously notice a lot more about his appearance… like did his SWAT shirt always fit him that well? How did he still look like a model after chasing a suspect down 6 flights of stairs. So when she saw him at Deac’s Police Star ceremony in his dress blues, not a hair out of place and looking like he came down from literal heaven… her heart stopped and she had to bite her lip to prevent a groan from coming out. Seriously why did he have to be that hot? How was that fair? This was destroying her, her inability to stop thinking these thoughts about him was making it harder to forgive herself for what happened that night, she was still dating and living with Ty & Kira after all. These impulses she was feeling were wrong and she had to stomp them down. She definitely needed to put herself as far away from him as physically possible without raising suspicions today so she decided to stay back and sit between Hondo and Luca. She hoped that using Luca and Tan as a literal buffer between them would be enough to get her back on track. As Deac began his speech, Chris could swear she felt Street looking at her and she bit her lip to keep a smile from breaking out. For some reason ever since that night, one look from him could turn her into a giddy school girl with a crush, something she would never let him find out. Thankfully her buffer helped keep her mostly on track… at least with the inappropriate thoughts running through her head but those were quickly replaced by a new feeling she was not loving… jealousy. By secretly changing the seating arrangement, Chris had unwittingly put Jim right next to Molly Hicks, who was very much into him. So now Chris had to fight off the green monster that was growing as she overheard their flirting. When they got up to applaud Deac, she couldn’t help herself as she stole a glance towards Street hoping he was looking at her, but he had turned his back to her and was fully focused on Molly. Her hear chattered, and she had never questioned her decision more… this was not something she had calculated or prepared for. Chris realized how selfish this was of her, after all she was the one who broke his heart, she was the one who had picked Ty & Kira instead of him, so why did it bother her so much that he might have found someone else? She decided she was just tired, and overthinking this too much… she also needed to clear her head. After congratulating Deac, and saying a quick goodbye to Luca, Tan and Hondo, Chris quietly slipped out hoping to go unnoticed and headed home to Ty & Kira. What Chris didn’t notice was that Street walked away from Molly when he saw her leave, so he could go ask the others if something was up, because she usually never left a work function this early.


	4. Time changes things, whether you want it to or not

\- 2 months later -

Chris had been under the weather recently, but she had passed it off as the flu that was going around. It was the beginning of fall, so it was bound to happen, as the season changed and once again a third of SWAT HQ was out sick. Chris had always prided herself on her ability to get over things like this just on her mantra of mind over matter, but as she was still dealing with her overwhelming guilt from her indiscretion with Street, her mind was also not at its best at the moment. Ever since she broke off their friendship, Chris’ guilt had only increased as she found herself mourning not only over her breach of trust in her relationship with Ty & Kira but also on no longer having her best friend, and seeing how that had broken him slightly. She knew it was her choice that left her in this position but as much as she had hoped that it was the right decision for her, for Street and for the team, it would be a lie if she said she hadn’t noticed that the team was aware of the change in their dynamics and it was affecting the team’s dynamics as well. Thankfully nobody had brought it up yet, at least not to her directly, but that might be because she had been more on edge lately. She hadn’t been pulling any punches, that’s for sure, specially not with Street.

-^-^-^-^-^-^-

Luca had a front row seat to the train wreck that Street was barely surviving. Although he couldn’t quite understand what was happening with him, as he didn’t have all the information, Street had been suffering a lot lately, having had to report his mom and send her back to prison. And somewhere in that timeline since that week he found his mom, Street’s relationship with Chris had imploded. None of the team really knew why, but something was definitely going on with them. Street seemed more depressed than Luca had ever seen him before, and he was starting to worry. Usually he would’ve kept his roommates issues within the walls of their home, but since it seemed to also involve a member of their team, Luca had started reaching out to Tan and Deac for advice as Hondo was travelling with Darryl. They knew that for some reason in this situation, Chris was not the approachable one, she was also not in the best mood lately. With that knowledge plus the visual proof that Street was in a bad place, it seemed that he was the one who was suffering the most, since he also had to deal with his mom. Once Hondo returned and was caught up with the situation he slowly begun trying to help Street get out of his depression along with Luca, Tan, Hondo and Deac. As cases kept coming, the team did their best to function to the best of their abilities, and Hondo tried his best to keep Chris and Street on separate assignments to avoid aggravating whatever personal issue they were dealing with.

During their hunt for a cult leader who had escaped from a mental institution, Chris had been having a rough day trying to track down a pregnant young woman named Claire who had been brainwashed by the cult. This subject had hit a nerve for some reason, and as she built a relationship with Claire’s mother, who was anxious to reunite with her estranged daughter, Chris couldn’t help but make this case personal. After receiving a lead as to Claire’s possible whereabouts, she headed out with Deac to rescue her, only to find another woman from the cult who was impersonating Claire to set a trap for them with a bomb. Since Chris had been working with Claire’s mom, she was the one who discovered that this woman was an imposter and took her down, but not without a fight that left Chris pretty bruised up. After the altercation Deac insisted that Chris got a full check up at the hospital, especially since she had not been feeling particularly well that day, she had thrown up three times and it was only 1pm.

Once Deac had dropped her off at the hospital he had been called away to check a lead nearby while Chris was in with the doctors. She was playing on her phone while sitting in the waiting room when another wave of nausea hit and she had to call for a nurse to bring her a bag.

An older woman in the seat next to hers turned to her and offered her a tissue, and said “Do you want some saltine crackers? That usually really helps. I remember in my first trimester, I almost never left the house without a bag, three changes of clothes and a box of saltine crackers. Morning sickness is the worst. It did not get any better with my second and third pregnancy.”

This took Chris by surprise, as she processed what the lady had said and tried to formulate a reply. Nausea was not something she had a lot of experience with, now that she thought about it, this was probably the third time in her entire life that she had felt this disgusting, she usually had a pretty strong immune system. “you know I actually don’t think I’ve ever had saltine crackers before, but sure if you have some I’d be really grateful” Chris replied.

The woman pulled out a small bag from her purse and passed it to Chris.  
“Yeah, I guess now its become a habit for me to carry them! Like I was telling you, these were my saviours when I had my boys, so now I never leave the house without a bag! I’m Alana by the way, what’s your name?”

Chris opened up the bag and tried one of the crackers ‘wow these are plaaaain… but at least I don’t feel like gagging yet so that’s progress. I can’t imagine how she ate these for months, and multiple times… hats off to mom’s who have to deal with this whole morning sickness, I can barely deal with this stomach flu’. Chris realized she had gone off on a mental tangent and had forgotten to reply to Alana. “it’s nice to meet you Alana, my name is Christina, but all my friends call me Chris”

“so these are pretty plain, huh? I guess it makes sense as to why they’re good for nausea though since they don’t make you gag. I can’t believe you had to eat these for your morning sickness though, it must have been months that you dealt with that, huh?”

“yeah, I’m sorry to tell you it doesn’t get much better, although it really depends on the woman, everyone experiences different symptoms at different intensities during pregnancy. I guess I can say I was pretty lucky because mine only really lasted around 3 months each time, so once I hit the second trimester it usually went away. But then I got a whole other list of symptoms that hit me worst. I’m assuming since you don’t know much about this, that this is your first?”

Now Chris’ brain caught up to what Alana had been saying from the beginning… I guess she couldn’t have worded it any clearer. But was this Chris’ first? First of what? First BABY? She wasn’t pregnant. That made no sense, how could she be pregnant? She thinks she would know. How could she not? especially when she hangs out with Deac and Annie, who have four kids now, not to mention her huge family that only continues to expand. She would know… right?

“I’m sorry… first? Ahhh I’m not pregnant haha, I think I would know.”

“Oh I’m sorry, I guess I assumed wrong, but you just have that glow about you. Not to mention your nausea just mimicked what I experienced so I guess I jumped to conclusions. That being said, and I’m sorry if this seems like it’s too personal, I didn’t know I was pregnant either with my first, until a co-worker recognized my symptoms and so I went to my family doctor. I thought I was going to prove her wrong, but after multiple urine tests and a blood test, there was no denying that I indeed was pregnant. Sometimes it’s harder to see it for yourself when you haven’t experienced it”

This left Chris speechless. She really didn’t know how to respond to Alana, when she was starting to realize that she might be on to something. This was starting to freak her out. Could she be pregnant? I mean, yes I guess. She was dating a man, Ty, and they were having sex, although not recently… thanks to the guilt. Chris had been abstaining a lot from being physically intimate with both Kira & Ty… she hoped they hadn’t noticed enough to call her out on it though, I guess it helped that she had been sick recently. And of course… that night with Street. But she had been taking birth control again ever since she started dating men again, and they always used a condom. She didn’t get a chance to reply or to reel out of control however as a nurse came to pull her back into a room to be checked out by the doctor.

Chris was barely paying attention to what the nurse and doctor were telling her, something about an X-ray or a CT to check her ribs? Until they asked “any chance you might be pregnant?” … that undid her. Suddenly she felt overwhelmed and began tearing up, she usually knew exactly how to answer this question, but not today. As a tear escaped the nurse reached out while the male doctor stepped out and gave them the room. As she held Chris’ hand she asked “Miss Alonso, are you alright? Is this regarding the pregnancy question?” Chris suddenly blurted out “I don’t know. I actually don’t know… do you think I might be? Could I be pregnant? What does that even mean?”

The nurse who was holding her hand came and sat beside her and put her other hand on Chris’ shoulder. “Ok Miss Alonso let’s just take a breath. It seems like you’re a bit overwhelmed by this but don’t worry, thankfully you’re in the perfect place to get the answer to your questions. Since it seems that you don’t know for sure, let’s just go through a few questions, and then we can consider doing a blood and a urine test to confirm if we think you are”

The nurse’s relaxed demeanor helped Chris calm down a bit as she listened to the plan. “ok, that sounds good”

“ok, so let’s start with some basic questions, first are you currently sexually active with a male partner?”

“yes”

“do you use birth control? If yes, what kind?”

“yes, I’m on the pill and we also use condoms”

“ok, and have you been consistent with the pill, taking all of the doses, and at the correct times?”

“um yes, for the most part? I think I had a couple of slip ups, but mostly consistent”

“ok, and do you remember when you had your last period?”

“ … um no actually, I don’t really remember. My job is pretty hectic, and I’ve never been very good at tracking my cycle”

“ok well, sometimes we remember using like specific events that happened, or clothing we wore that day, the mood we were in, etc, anything like that you remember about your last menstruation?”

“I actually cannot remember anything recent. I’ve had spotting, but a full period, it’s been a while, maybe missed my last cycle… or last two?” Chris was beginning to panic again, and the nurse could see that, so she said “hey its ok, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re pregnant, let’s just do some tests and see what we find, either way it’s going to be ok, and I’ll be right here with you the whole time”

“ok thank you!” Chris was now freaking out over the fact that Deac would be back any minute, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to share this with anyone, especially if it turned out she actually is pregnant. The nurse stepped out to grab some supplies and promised Chris she’d be right back.

Chris decided to text Deac so he wouldn’t come until she was ready.

CHRIS: Hey Deac, ER is pretty packed, still waiting to see a doc, so no need to rush back here.

DEAC: Are you sure? I’m just finishing up with this lead and can get there in 20.

CHRIS: Yeah, there’s no point in both of us wasting time here. Go help the rest of the team, I’ll be fine. I’ll let you know when I’m out so you can pick me up.

DEAC: Ok

The nurse came back with a urine collection cup, and a blood collection kit. She also had brought a pregnancy test, but decided to not show it to Chris just yet, as she was very nervous.

“Ok so let’s do the blood first, just need a couple of vials, these will also be used for the other tests we have to run to assess why you’ve been so under the weather.”

Chris was not a fan of needles going into her, but she braved it out. Once that was done the nurse pulled out something from her pocket as she walked Chris to the bathroom.

“ Ok Miss Alonso, now the urine collection, you’ve done these before, same deal. And I brought one of these pregnancy tests… I know it’ll take a bit longer to get the full lab results than what you might be willing to wait and since I know you’re feeling a bit anxious, I thought this might be more helpful. Either way within the next hour or two you will be certain if you’re pregnant, as the blood and urine analysis results will be ready.”

“Ok, thank you… you can call me Chris by the way, since you already know more about me than anyone else in my life at the moment. Also I’m sorry I don’t know your name”

“haha no problem Chris, and my name is Suzie”

“thanks Suzie! I’ll never forget it now”

Chris got the urine analysis done but decided to hold off on trying the pregnancy test. As anxious as she was to know, she wasn’t sure if she was ready for the answer. After 30 minutes of waiting though, she decided she couldn’t hold off any longer and went to find the bathroom again.

There was a line up for the bathroom, and a familiar face was waiting for a turn. “Hey Chris”

“hey Alana” it looked like Alana had moved up from the waiting room to the ER holding area. Alana noticed Chris’ anxiety and felt guilty as she thought it might have been her fault, “Hey, I didn’t get a chance to say it earlier, but I’m sorry if I caused you any anxiety with my nosiness. I didn’t realize it might cause you stress, because you’re unsure. I know how nerve-wracking that first time can be, or just any pregnancy scare in general, especially if it’s not something you were expecting”

Chris felt bad that Alana was feeling guilty, and she also felt angry at herself for not noticing earlier that she might be pregnant, so she reached out to Alana and put her hand on Alana’s shoulder “Honestly Alana, don’t feel bad at all. I actually want to thank you for helping me realize this might be a thing. If you hadn’t sent me into that trail of thought, I probably would not have considered I could be pregnant, and I might have gotten a CT or an X-ray which would’ve been really bad if that’s the case. I don’t really know if being a mom is something I can do, or that I want to do, but if I am pregnant, the last thing I want is to put my child in danger because I was not more self-aware” Chris started tearing up as she said this.

Alana pulled Chris into a hug “hey, I know I don’t know you very well and we just met, but judging you based off of literally just your outfit, which is a SWAT uniform, I can tell you are a real badass. So don’t think for a minute that just because you didn’t notice some possible changes in your body, you are suddenly the bad guy. Also don’t think this makes you weak! Growing a human being is a challenge, I say it from experience, and it is a lifetime commitment. Finding out you might be pregnant is scary. I know I was terrified, because my first came during the craziest, most unstable time in my life. But I’m going to be here for you. Not only today, but also moving forward, I’ll be here every step of the way if you need me!”

Suddenly Chris broke down crying. This woman was so kind and sweet. It reminded Chris of her aunts, and she couldn’t be more grateful that they had met that day.

“I really don’t know how to thank you! And well if your offer really stands, I think I’m ready to try this” Chris tells Alana as she shows her the pregnancy test in her hand. Its finally their turn to use the bathroom.

Chris had been in a lot of crazy, off the wall situations that went down in a matter of seconds or sometimes hours as a SWAT officer. But the two minutes it took for the pregnancy test to give her a positive or a negative result were the longest of her entire life. Alana and her sat in the bathroom floor as they waited. Suddenly Chris couldn’t bring herself to read it once the result came up. She asked Alana to look…

“are you sure you don’t want to look at it yourself?” Alana asked as she began picking it up.

“no, I can’t, you do it please.”

> **+++ [ P O S I T I V E ] +++**

“ok here’s the moment of truth Chris, according to this you are… Pregnant”

Chris felt like she’d been hit in the chest and she had no air flowing in. PREGNANT?!… she’s pregnant ?! she almost wanted ask how did this happen, but she knew how. the question she needed to answer wasn’t how, but rather what… as in what now? What will this mean? Can I stay on SWAT? What do I want? What will the team say? What will Ty & Kira say? …what will Street say?

… Street …right … wow this would break his heart… well even further than what she had already broken his heart.

There was one other question that Street brought up that she wasn’t sure she wanted to think about or try to answer right now… but she would at some point… which was who.. who was the father.

That last question plus the hyperventilating she had been doing since Alana read the results caused Chris to pass out.


	5. The Op

…

“hey Chris, can you hear me?” A voice she recognized as Suzie asked.

Chris felt fuzzy, as she slowly regained consciousness, she was no longer in the bathroom floor but now on a gurney surrounded by medical personnel.

“huh.. yes” Chris finally answered

“gave us a scare for a second there” said Alana who was standing to her right behind Suzie.

“so Alana mentioned that you finally tried the peeing on a stick method” said Suzie.

“um yup… so this is not a dream huh? Can someone pinch me… I just gotta make sure I’m not going crazy” Chris said as she tried to sit up while Suzie helped her.

“nope, not a dream. However we still don’t have your full results and those sticks aren’t always accurate. So if I were you I’d give it a little bit before I freak out any further. Is there somebody you’d like us to call to be here with you while you wait?”

“Nah, I’m ok, I got my new friend Alana here with me and that’s good enough for me.”

“Haha alright, well you just let me know then”

… an hour and a half later, Chris bid goodbye to Suzie and Alana as she waited for Deac to arrive. Urine and Blood analysis had confirmed that Chris was indeed pregnant. They estimated approximately 3 months. She had been given multiple pamphlets about the different services available to her as well as a prescription for some anti-nausea medication and prenatal vitamins. It was safe to say that Chris was lost. She had no idea what in the world was happening and how she was going to deal with it. She knew that she had to tell someone, but who could she tell? Annie still had issues with Chris being in a thrupple, Deac was trying to be supportive but he didn’t approve either. Her family was still not open to the idea of her dating a couple, and she doubted a baby out of wedlock would help. She definitely was not ready to talk to Ty & Kira about this, especially with their wedding coming up in a few weeks, things had been off with them for a while. Cortez was gone, and even if she was still here, could she really share that with her boss? Tan and Luca were supportive friends, but they would not be able to handle all of this information. Street was out of the question. And so that left Hondo… the only person in her circle at this moment who she couldn’t anticipate a response for, but in a good way. Of course Deac hadn’t been able to pick her up from the hospital as he got called to finish out a call with the others, so Hicks had been the one who stopped by the hospital to pick her up. At least he didn’t ask any intrusive questions, and she had time to think.

Over the next week Chris had started to come to terms with her situation while also becoming extremely self-aware of her surroundings. The things she used to do before without a second thought, suddenly felt more dangerous when she realized it wasn’t just her safety that was in question. It also had been very difficult to keep her vitamins and supplements close by and yet out of sight as she now lived with Ty & Kira, and her locker at work was literally see through. She was also doing more research as she considered not only her options but also her feelings on the matter. It’s like suddenly as soon as she had found out her full maternal instincts came out. And mama bear Chris was even scarier than regular Chris, if the team was not walking on eggshells before, they definitely were now. Chris also kept in touch with Alana who was sharing tips and providing the best advice she could based on her experience.

Then lieutenant Lynch decided to make them go on an undercover op to catch not only some OG gangbangers, but also a currency counterfeiter who was making millions for the gang. It was a sloppy plan which they barely had time to prep for. And she was chosen as a key player in it, going undercover with Street as a runner for the counterfeiter. Chris was already on edge when it came analysing the dangers her job might pose on her fetus, but now she also had to consider what this op might bring, like the fact that she wouldn’t even be wearing a bulletproof vest. And on top of that she would be in close quarters with Street for possibly multiple days, with no one else to serve as a buffer. Ever since she had found out, she had tried to avoid Street even more than she usually did. The paternity question was fueling her guilt to a whole new level, and had even begun to haunt her dreams. She had already had two dreams where she saw Street’s face on the baby as Ty was in the birthing suite with her and in the dream that’s how he and Kira had found out that she had cheated on them. She was worried that something might slip out while she hung out with Street on this op.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Street had noticed something was up with Chris ever since she had gotten sick a couple of weeks ago. It was unlike Chris to be sick, and also this often, she had spent almost the entire month puking, and struggling with her immune system. It had him worried, but he wasn’t sure he knew how to help. And even if he had a solution, Chris had made it very clear that it wasn’t his place anymore to check in on her like that, so he had done his best to just stay out of her way. After she’d gone to the hospital last week she’d started acting even stranger than usual though. She had even gotten skittish, as he had caught her more than once jumping out of the way and shielding her full body with a lot more care. She had also managed to avoid him even more than usual, but Street didn’t know what to make of this. Ever since Chris had pushed him away, Street had found it hard to know how to be around her, it’s like he suddenly didn’t know how to interact with her at all, so after a couple of weeks, he stopped trying all together. The truth is this hurt more than she could ever phantom, and yet his love for her had never been stronger. His petty side wanted to hate her, probably because it’d be easier to walk away and act indifferent, but the truth is he could never do that, no matter how hard he’s tried. The fact that things with his mom had also taken a turn for the worst had just been the last nail in his coffin. If he was honest, nowadays he barely slept or ate, and he cried a lot more than he used to, which was pretty much never. Growing up as a foster kid, something he learned early on was that you could never show weakness, so Street had always prided himself in the fact that he never cried. That was no longer the case, Street now cried almost every night as he went to bed, I guess in a way it was therapeutic, and a lot better than just holding it in and pretending everything is ok. Although crying did help with the pain, it did nothing for his anxiety, which usually had to do with Chris, so when this op came, pretty much out of the blue, he did not feel ready for it.

That morning as they came out in their civies and mounted the van, Street gave himself an internal pep talk. ‘today is about work, not our personal issues. Remember we will be earwigged the majority of the time, so the team will hear everything we say. Give her the space she needs, she already made it clear as to why you can’t be close anymore, respect her wishes. Also remember that no matter what happens, she doesn’t love you back, and reading into things will not help you heal your broken heart.’ At least with this in mind he hoped that he would be able to spend this undercover time keeping the peace, and not revealing anything to the team.

“morning Chris”

“morning Street, although we should probably start using our aliases now so morning Nick”

“ you’re right, Marie” Street gave her his most charming and disarming smile hoping to de-ice the wall between them a bit.

“you ready for today?” Asked Chris with a small smile in response… she had totally forgotten how incredibly handsome and charming he could be… this was going to be a _loooong_ day.

“As ready as I’ll ever be I guess, with the short notice we got. How about you?” replied Street as he wondered why he hadn’t noticed how beautiful she looked until now that he dared to finally look at her directly. She looked like she was almost glowing as she wore those flirty red sunglasses that he absolutely loved her in. this was going to be a _loooong_ day.

“same. But I guess ready or not, here we go.”

The drive wasn’t long and so they stayed in comfortable silence as they prepared for their roles. Once they arrived, ‘Marie’ took over the introduction with ‘Bobby’ the counterfeiter, while ‘Nick’ focused on the manual labor, aka moving the boxes. They were ready for their getaway when street decided to up the ante a bit to get more from their counterfeiter. Chris kept her cool externally as she mentally whopped his ass for putting their cover in danger. However Bobby took the bait, and they were able to walk away unscathed with the promise of a larger profit if they could return in a couple of days. Once they got back to the HQ motor pool Chris finally let go of a breath she didn’t even know she had been holding. Street gave her a second to see if she might need something from him, but since she had distanced herself and not given him any cues as to what he could do, he decided to just give her a moment alone, and left the van to head inside. Once he was gone Chris broke down and cried for at least five minutes, as the gravity of her job and her decision regarding her fetus weighed on her once again. They had the next day off, it was Monday, so they wouldn’t have to be back until Wednesday to continue the op.

Wednesday morning, Chris caught herself admiring her body in front of the mirror in her room, she wasn’t sure but she thought she might have started showing a bit. The fact that the miracle of life was happening within her right that very second just had her in complete awe… that was until she got hit with a serious wave of nausea and had to run to the bathroom. She hadn’t been too keen on the drugs they prescribed her for nausea, as she had read up on them and heard horror stories from Alana about their possible side effects. So she was now living off of saltine crackers, and teas that helped with the nausea. Occasionally she would take a ginger gravel if her nausea was particularly bad that day. Today was one of those particularly bad kind of day. When she popped into the van, Street could tell that she wasn’t feeling well, but he decided not to comment on it as she didn’t seem like she wanted anyone to butt in at the moment. However within 30 min Chris had gone into one of her bad nausea episodes and driving around in the van had not been ideal for her condition.

“Chris, are doing ok?”

“its ‘Marie’ and also yeah, I’m fine, just a little nausea, nothing too serious”

“sorry _Marie,_ and are you sure? because you’re turning green. We can stop at that gas station that’s coming up If you want?” Chris really didn’t want to compromise the op but Street was right, she need to get off this car and hurl, otherwise she was going to hurl in the back of this van, and nobody wanted that.

“sure, let’s make a quick stop, I have to pee and I’m kinda hungry”

“sounds good, I’m getting kinda hungry too” answered Jim.

After the van was parked, Chris tried to run out of it as fast as she could so she could go hurl in the station’s bathroom, not on the sidewalk. Street followed her to make sure she was doing ok and found that she was stuck because there was a line up for the bathroom. Street saw the panic in her eyes, and suddenly all the rules were forgotten, and he went back into best friend mode. “what do you need? What can I get you?” he asked.

“something or somewhere to puke in peace NOW”

Street ran and found someone who worked there who gave him a bucket for him to bring to her, he then led her to the back alley of the station so she could have some privacy while she threw up. Their no physical contact situation also ran out the window, as Street held her hair back and rubbed her back while she hurled what little breakfast she had managed to eat. Street also went and got her baby wipes and breath mints so she could clean up, and feel a bit better. It hurt street’s soul to see her so vulnerable, and it worried him that she was feeling that sick. After cleaning up while they still stood in that alley, Chris couldn’t help herself and she hugged him as close as she could and took in his scent. It seemed that his scent was the only thing that didn’t make her absolutely nauseous. It was in that moment, after all he had done for her that she realized she had never loved him more. It’s like he could anticipate her every need without having to explain herself at any point. Man, somewhere deep in her conscious mind she had stored the paternity issue, but right now more than ever, she gave herself the opportunity to hope that her baby was Street’s, she could not imagine a better partner or father for her daughter. She had no idea if it was a girl or a boy, but ever since she took that pregnancy test, all of her being has been screaming that it’s a girl. Chris realized this probably wasn’t a good idea, so she finally pulled away, only offering him a tiny smile and a quiet but sincere thank you.

Later that evening the op suddenly became even more dangerous as now her and street and the counterfeiter they had flipped, would be meeting face to face with the OG gangbangers to deliver the fake currency. Street had argued against both of them going with the counterfeiter, arguing that she’d be a better lookout up in a sniper post watching his six, rather than with him in the van as she was not feeling well. This of course didn’t sit well with Chris, because no matter how cautious she felt lately, she still loved the action and being in the middle was right where she wanted to be. That night the meeting with the gangsters things took a turn as one of the gangsters pulled a gun on them, while two of his underlings moved to prep the van to kidnap the 3 them ( Chris, Street and Bobby). Street tried his best to keep the gun trained on himself, in an attempt to protect Chris, however two more gangsters popped up and one forced Bobby into the back of the van while the other tried to grab Chris while threatening her with his gun.

“if you’re going to kill us then do it here, and stop wasting time, what’s the point of transporting us somewhere else if you’re going to get rid of us anyways.” Street taunted the OG gangster

“I thought I told you to shut up, you know sometimes being a smartass just gets you killed faster” said the gangster “you know maybe, I should kill your little girlfriend first, here and in front of you and see if that shuts you up, since you’re in such a rush to die.”

Because these OG gangsters knew every trick in the book, Chris and Street were not earwigged, so they had no idea what their team was planning to do in order to save them. That also meant that the team could not hear what they were saying either so they had no way of verbally signalling them.

As the OG gangster turned to train his gun on her, Chris had to think of a way to stall the gangsters so the team had time to catch up and save them. But the fear that ran in her veins from this very real situation, just kept bringing in her unborn child, so before she knew it she had blubbered out “I’m pregnant” .

Which caught both Street and the OG off guard as they turned to look at her.

“what?” whispered Street so silently she could’ve sworn she imaged it.

the gangster however now just looked slightly more conflicted than before.

“I know you have a reputation to uphold, and you were assigned to clean up duty, but are you really willing to kill a pregnant woman?” asked Chris.

“you don’t look pregnant, how do I know you’re not just saying that so I won’t kill you?” asked the gangster.

“you have kids, don’t you? How much did your baby mama’s spend in the bathroom throwing up for at least the first 3 months?”

“a lot. Hours sometimes”

“well now ask him” she said pointing at street “how long he spent with me today just holding a bucket and my hair back so I wouldn’t end up covered in puke. Or check the glove compartment if you want to see how many saltine crackers, and baby wipes, and mints I have just to get by every day… now why in the world would I make that up?”

That shut both the gangster and Street up. Neither knew what to do with themselves after receiving this information. But this was enough of a distraction for the team to move in and take all the gangsters down with nobody getting hurt.

In the locker room after most of them had cleared out, Chris sat in front of her locker trying to get her stomach under control once again when Street came in.

“so it got a bit dicey out there today, huh?” Street said.

“yeah, you know it’s bad when you have an OG holding a gun to your head” answered Chris.

“so…I’m not going to beat around the bushes, and just ask… was any of what you said out there true? Or was it just a distraction so that the team had enough time to get there and deescalate the situation.”

“Which part in particular are you referring to?” replied Chris, trying to see how much longer she could delay her confession. This is not how she planned on anyone finding out, especially not him.

“you know what I mean Chris… the part where you said you were pregnant. Is that true?”

Street said as he turned to face her while standing by his locker.

“I don’t know what you want me to say” said Chris as tears started to well up in her eyes.

“the truth Chris, all I want is the truth” Street said a bit more gently as he came to sit by her.

“yes.” Chris replied as she broke down crying.

It took Street a second before he reached out and pulled her towards him and just held her. He started rubbing circles on her back to help her calm down.

“I guess it all makes sense now, why you were throwing up non-stop… why you’ve been very moody lately” Street said in a light hearted manner, and Chris hit his chest, as she laughed slightly. “hey, I have not been moody lately. How about you try growing a human in your body, and then we’ll talk. Do you know how many hormones that requires?” Chris chuckled back.

Street put his hands up in mock surrender and she laughed. He loved her laugh, and it relaxed him that he was still able to get a smile out of her when she was clearly overwhelmed.

“so when did you find out?” street cautiously asked.

“um… about a week ago” Chris replied while looking down at her hands.

“oh” Street said, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t disappointed, if she only found out a week ago…there was no way it could be his, right? Suddenly the little glimmer of hope at the back of his mind was gone. It was only at this moment that he realized that hearing her say those words had reignited something within him, it had given him some hope that this would bring them back to each other. But not anymore… what surprised Street even more was how ok he was with the idea of being a dad.

“… yeaah” Chris said snapping Street out of his train of thought.

“so um, have you told anyone yet?” he asked, once again uncertain if he should be asking her at all since their relationship had been so delicate these past few months.

“um no actually. You’re actually the first person to find out” Chris said as she snuck a peek at his face. It might have been a while since they were this close to each other, but she could still read him. She could see he was reeling from these news, and hurt, just like she had expected.

“oh, well then I’m honoured, I’m sorry it had to come out the way it did, I’m sure that’s not how you planned on revealing it.”

“ha … yeah no, I hadn’t thought much about how I’d do it, but none of my ideas included an OG with his gun in my face” Chris said trying to lighten the mood slightly.

“Are you happy though?” Street suddenly asked.

“that’s a big word for a short word, I am.. uh… I’m surprised and maybe excited? I’m still just figuring it out at the moment.” She replied as she gave him a soft smile.

“it’s big news, for sure. But these are good news Chris, I’m happy for you… you’re going to be a great mom” Street said, whispering that last part, as he gave her one last hug.

Street then stood up, grabbed his bag, and as he closed his locker he heard Chris mumble “you know, it might not have been how I planned it, but I’m glad you’re the first person I told.”

Street sent a small smile her way as he said “me too… goodnight Chris” and walked out of the locker room.

Chris sat there for a while afterwards, unsure of what to do now. As she stared at her locker, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander into a part of her subconscious she did her best to avoid. Chris couldn’t help herself as she imagined what it would be like if she were dating Street, and this was his child. She suddenly had this image of him watching her as she admired her growing bump in the mirror and how he came up behind her to wrap his arms around them both kissing her shoulder and telling her how much he loved them both…another image then popped into her head of her walking in on him holding their daughter as he rocked her back to sleep. If hearts could glow, Chris’ would be lighting up this whole room with hers right now. The intensity of the love she felt for that man scared her to death, but right now despite that fear, all she wanted was to crawl into his arms and forget about everything else that was about to implode. Chris train of thought was suddenly stopped as the locker room door opened.

“Hey Chris, what are you still doing here? I thought I was the only one who didn’t have a life” Hondo greeted as he headed for his locker. As he was turning to look her way he noticed she had been crying, so he moved to sit by her.

“hey, you good Chris? What’s going on?”

Chris had no idea what to answer, but then she remembered how Hondo seemed to be the only person in her life right now who she felt comfortable turning to for advice.

“I… I need your advice… but maybe we shouldn’t talk about it here.” Chris replied finally looking at Hondo. He now could see the pain and turmoil that were eating her up.

“ok well, I’m pretty hungry right now, how about we head out for some burgers so we can talk”

Chris nodded her head and followed Hondo out of HQ, she decided it’d be easier for both if they both brought their cars, so she wouldn’t need a ride to work the next day.


	6. time to focus on what was best for all of them not what felt more convenient or less scary

They headed to a 24hr Dinner they both liked, and once they had placed their orders Hondo finally directed himself towards Chris. “so Chris, what is going on with you? You know you can tell me anything, I’m here as your friend, not your boss.”

Suddenly Chris broke down in sobs again, wow this was going to be a lot harder than she imagined.

“um… so much ha… I guess I should start at the beginning…” Chris decided she would start with the situation between her & Street… which also included her issues with Ty & Kira. So she told him about her uncertainty in that relationship, how everyone seemed to disagree with it. She told him about the fight with Annie and how that led her to go to Street. She told him about Street and how much she cared about him, how he had become her best friend but now she couldn’t be around him anymore. She told him about that night, how she came to terms with the fact that she was in love with him but that she couldn’t live with the guilt of her indiscretions. Suddenly everything she had been going through in the past 3 months was just flowing out.

“wow … I had no idea Chris. I knew something was up with you and street… but I was too pre-occupied with Darryl to really pay attention before we went on our vacation. It was only once I got back and Deac caught me up a bit that I started to see something big must have happened because both of you had changed; especially in how you interacted with each other” Hondo said after having quietly listened to Chris pouring her heart out. “But Chris I gotta ask, if you've been so uncertain in your relationship with Ty & Kira, why did you move in with them in the first place? And why are you still with them?”

Of all the questions she expected him to ask, this was not the first she wanted to answer.

“um… I don’t know, I guess I was scared. When I broke Street’s heart I told myself that sleeping with him had only showed me that I wanted to commit 100% to Ty & Kira, and really give them a shot. I think in a way I felt like I never really gave any of my previous relationships a shot, I was always looking for a way out of them, so in this case I just keep trying to stop myself from running away”

“ok I get that, but from what you’ve told me and from knowing you, it seems like you really love Street and that scares you. Chris I know you have a strict policy against dating cops, and that you’ve had your share of bad experiences. I also know you don’t want to destroy your reputation or your career. But Chris I think you need to give yourself a chance to explore this. I’ve known you and Street for long enough now to be able to read you. You’re both family, and right now it’s killing me to see you both suffering, especially now that I know why. Chris, Street is in love with you, I don’t need to ask him to know that. And I know he wants to be with you. Department policies aside, I think you both need to give this a shot, if that’s what you want. I know what it’s like to put the job before a relationship, and trust me, it’s not worth it.”

“I think it’s too late for us now Hondo. I really broke his heart when I chose Ty & Kira. Plus there’s one more thing I haven’t shared with you… last week when I had to go to the hospital to get checked out after I took down that girl from the cult, I found out that … I’m … pregnant.”

Chris didn’t think it was going to be this difficult to tell Hondo… somehow it had been a lot easier to share this with Street. She couldn’t even look at him in the eyes as she said the last part.

“wait… what? For reals Chris? That’s amazing! Congratulations!” Hondo came around to hug her as she began to smile. This is the moment she knew that she had made the right choice in choosing him as her confidant.

“this is good news, right?” Hondo asked as Chris still hadn’t said anything.

“um… I don’t know… I guess I’m still trying to process what this all means.”

“What do you mean?” Hondo replied

“ well first there’s the fact that I had no idea I was pregnant. For the last couple of years I’ve mostly been dating women, it wasn’t until Ty & Kira that I was with a man again. So having to be on birth control and all of that was new again. It completely caught me off guard. I guess up until now I hadn’t really considered if I wanted kids because I’d never been in a place in my life where it came up. And now I also can’t help but consider what this all means in terms of SWAT. Hondo I’m the first woman that has ever made it on to SWAT, so this is not something that anyone before me has had to deal with… you know that command is not going to be ok with a pregnant SWAT officer being on duty. And what will that mean for my career? Is it over? Are they going to send me back down to patrol? Will I get maternity leave? Or am I just going to end up off the force on light duty ‘indefinitely’ … I’ve worked so hard to have everyone at SWAT see me as an equal, but this is going to change that and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”

“Chris I – “

“Also If I’m being fully honest with myself… and with you, I’m not even certain who the father is.. the doctor said I’m about 3 months along which coincides with when Street and I slept together.” Chris interrupted Hondo as she couldn’t seem to hold on to any of it anymore, it all just spilled out.

“oh … damn ok. Well first things first…it seems like the question of whether to have the baby or not is something you have already answered for yourself. Everything you said to me right now told me that you seem to want to keep it.”

‘Huh’ Chris thought… Hondo was right, at some point she had decided she wanted this baby. Somehow that wasn’t even a question for her anymore, she was going to be a mom. Within the past week she had even begun to refer to her fetus as her daughter. This was real, and she was going be ready for it.

“I guess you’re right. I hadn’t even considered that yet. I do want to be a mom.”

“Well you’re going to be a great mom, I know that for sure. Now Chris, I hadn’t even considered the whole SWAT situation, but believe me when I say that I will 100% have your back no matter what you decide to do. I will fight with you and for you if that’s that what you want. You are one of the best SWAT officers I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. And I know that no one in SWAT can deny how much of an asset you’ve been to our department. You broke down barriers when you made it into SWAT, and that will not be taken lightly. I know with this you will break down barriers again and set a new standard.”

Chris now started crying once again as she hugged Hondo “damn these hormones …. thank you so much boss. You don’t know how much that means to me.”

Hondo laughed and hugged her back. “come on Chris, you know I always got your 6.”

As they finished their food, Hondo finally realized that Chris’ had been eating was different to say the least. She had a banana milkshake, with a burger that she ordered extra pickles for, and she had ordered a mayonnaise and relish mix in her bugger.

“so I see the weird cravings have started..” Hondo chuckled as Chris dipped her last pickle on the remaining mayonnaise and relish mix.

“what cravings? Haha I’m just glad my first trimester is almost over… I don’t know how much longer I can deal with all this morning sickness… it’s not even only in the morning, I get it at all hours … also this is weirdly a good combination.” Chris pouted as she replied.

“so have you told anyone you’re pregnant yet?” Hondo asked as they waited for the bill.

“um well Street kinda found out today. During the op when the OG gangster pointed his gun at me, my maternal instinct kicked in and before I knew it I was telling him that I was pregnant so they wouldn’t kill us. Street of course heard everything… not to mention that he had spent half the day holding my hair back as I hurled everything I’d consumed that day… so when we got back to HQ he asked. He only knows I’m pregnant and that I found out last week… he has no idea it might be his. Other than that no one else knows”

“so you haven’t shared this with Ty & Kira yet?”

“no.. I mean they’re getting married in a couple of weeks, and what am I even supposed to say? ‘hey … remember the day I said I’d move in? well the night before I slept with Jim Street, oh and also I just found out I’m pregnant and have no idea who the father is, because of course I was sleeping with you at the same time’… that’s not really how I want to come clean, not to mention that the whole marriage thing is already complicated enough.”

“I see where you’re coming from Chris but I really think you should tell them… before things get even more complicated… the wedding is still going to happen, and they are going to be married, that was always happening from the beginning. But you being pregnant is new, and time is not on your side with this… how long do you think you can keep this to yourself while living with them before they notice? Not only is your body and your life going to be changing but this also affects their lives… you can’t lie to them forever”

Chris knew Hondo was right, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t scared.

“I know I can’t but what If this isn’t Ty’s baby… what if its Jim’s? … how am I going to face that? If I tell them I’m pregnant, I’m also going to have to tell them about that night… sooner than later. Because if this isn’t Ty’s child, then I can’t lead them on to think it is… I know that they deserve the truth and so does Jim… but that doesn’t make it any easier… I’m so scared Hondo”

“Chris you know I love and support you no matter what, but right now you need some tough love. This baby has given you an ultimatum, you have to decide what it is that you want and who it is that you want. Because even if the baby is Ty’s, do you want to raise it with them and become a family? Or if it’s Jim’s, do you want to raise it with him and create a family with him? This is no longer just about your feelings or their feelings, this is also now about the child you’re carrying and how this will shape their life” Hondo told Chris as they headed to their cars.

“I know you’re right, I just need to sort myself out. Thank you for listening to me and for being so supportive. It’s been really hard lately since I’ve been at odds with most of the people I’m closest with.” Chris told Hondo as she hugged him goodbye.

“I understand Chris, I’m sorry you’ve been going through all of this alone and that I wasn’t there for you earlier, but I’m here now, and you know that if you need anything at all, I’m here for you. Now go get your rest mama, I need both of you to stay healthy so you can keep kicking ass with us”

Chris smiled at that “ thanks Hondo, and can we please keep this whole pregnancy thing between us? I’m not ready for the team to find out just yet.”

“of course, but you know eventually you’re going to have to tell them… I don’t think you’re going to be able to hide it much longer, plus those guys are more observant than what they show, and remember Deac is a pro at these now that he’s gone through it four times… it’s going to be hard to keep him fooled for long.”

Chris headed home that night and went straight to bed. In a way she was grateful that she had her own room in Ty & Kira’s loft. Somehow she still felt like she was only a guest in this home she was supposed to be sharing with them. She could barely sleep that night, as she replayed her conversations with Street and Hondo from earlier that evening. Chris knew Hondo was right and that she had to talk to Ty & Kira sooner than later, but she was not ready just yet. And well… just when things were finally starting to normalize with Street, this happened… now she had to consider what would be best for all of them not what felt more convenient or less scary.

Just like Chris, Street seemed to have some trouble getting to sleep that night. He still couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of Chris being pregnant. How did it get to this? One thing was for certain, if he had been harbouring any hope for a shot at a relationship with Chris, it was gone now. A kid was a binding contract, and if Chris was considering keeping it, then she must be getting pretty serious with Ty & Kira. It seemed like this was the sign he had been waiting for, unfortunately it didn’t seem to be in his favour. If Street was to continue working with Chris, he had to move on… he couldn’t keep holding on to a fantasy that was never going to become a reality.


	7. she can't keep ignoring or hiding this forever

About a week later as Chris had begun getting more comfortable with the pregnancy she decided to start a new training regimen that would be less intense for her growing fetus. She was doing a jumping rope sequence in the gym at HQ after shift when Molly Hicks passed by.

“impressive” molly said making Chris stop and turn toward her.

“ I can never get the crosses or land the double unders either” Molly continued as Chris wrapped up her rope.

“well like anything else, it’s an acquired skill… um, I think your dad left already” Chris replied.

“oh no, I was just picking up some paperwork for a court case I just got assigned.” Molly smiled she was about to turn to leave when she decided to just say what was on her mind “hey, can I ask you something?”

“mhm I always wanna say no to that… sure, what?” Chris joked

“um is Jim Street single?” molly asked quietly.

Oh… deep down she wasn’t surprised Molly had asked this, she had heard from Luca and Tan that they had hit it off when they met during the Christmas toy drive last year. However, ever since she had crossed that line with Street, her perspective had changed. Chris knew it was selfish of her to expect Street to stay single when she had chosen to continue dating Ty & Kira instead of giving him a chance. However it still stung when she saw Molly and Street flirt during Deac’s police star ceremony, and now that Molly had moved back to LA, she knew that they were bound to be in each other’s lives once again. She wanted to lie to Molly and tell her that he wasn’t … that he was seeing someone, or that he was not interested in her, but she knew that would be unfair, she had no right to mess this up for him. So after a sigh she finally answered, “um as far as I know”

“is that a hundred percent?” Molly asked

“aren’t you worried it can get a little messy with your dad?” Chris asked… hoping this would be enough to discourage Molly from pursuing this line of questioning further.

“maybe if I was sixteen and it was still any of his business”

“so you want me to find out …” Chris asked

Molly nodded, “mhmm super discreetly”

“ok, I get you”

“ I mean you’re friends with him, am I kidding myself about this?”

“no… I uh I think ..you guys would be.. great together” Chris tried to sound normal but saying those words had felt like swallowing hot coal. She was currently having an internal battle as her subconscious was kicking her for offering Street up to Molly on a silver platter. This was more painful than she could’ve imagined… but she knew it was the right thing to do… Street was not hers…at least not anymore.

“thanks” Molly smiled as she walked away and left Chris reeling from the conversation. What had she just done to herself? Even though she couldn’t take this back now, she also knew she would have to talk to Jim… preferably sooner than later.

Chris spent the rest of the week avoiding Molly Hicks at all costs. She knew she’d eventually have to face her and give her some type of answer, but she hadn’t been able to get a moment alone with Street. And even if she had, the conversation she needs to have with him would be a lot more complicated than finding out what his relationship status was.

Suddenly It was October and Ty & Kira’s wedding was only 3 days away. Chris had somehow managed to delay telling them about her pregnancy, and neither had suspected it yet. She had no idea how she had managed to avoid it for so long, as her bump had finally ‘popped’ about 5 days earlier and it was getting a little harder to hide. The first day she saw her bump she hadn’t been able to help herself as she snapped a pic in front of her mirror and sent it to both Hondo and Street. She was glad she had someone to share it with, and who could understand why she was acting a bit different lately.

Although she hadn’t had a moment alone with him still, Chris had noticed how Street seemed to be constantly checking on her. Hondo had also tried to discreetly make sure she would be in positions where she would be in less danger. Somehow to her disbelief, Deac had no noticed yet… or at least he hadn’t commented on it, while Luca and Tan were still as clueless as ever.

She knew her window to share her news was getting smaller by the minute but she still wanted to do things right and talk to Ty & Kira first, before she went public with her news. Unfortunately their lack of awareness to her condition, and her aversion to their affection, had only instilled more doubt in Chris. How could they be the people for her if they hadn’t even acknowledged that she had pulled away significantly in the past few months? How could they not notice she was PREGNANT and pretty close to being done with her first trimester even though they lived together? It seemed like the closer they got to the wedding, and the closer they got to each other, the further Chris felt from them, and as the days passed she felt more and more like a third wheel. As Chris walked out that morning to find the loft empty once again with only a simple note on the fridge that said they were out doing wedding things, something clicked in her brain.

Today was the day, she had to come clean.


	8. the one where Chris finally tells Ty & Kira

After cleaning and organizing the loft, Chris decided to pack at least an overnight bag, in case things went in that direction. She had also began leaving things ready to be packed, because she was not sure if she wanted to continue living with them anymore. Around 3:30pm Kira texted Chris telling her they were on their way home, and asked her if she wanted anything to eat as they had already had a late lunch. Chris replied that she was ok, as she had made lunch for herself earlier.

This was it, they would be home any minute and Chris couldn’t contain her anxiety. The moment of truth had arrived, as she heard the door opening Chris went and sat in the living room as she waited for them to come in.

“Hey Chris” Ty & Kira said in unison, then began giggling as they realized “Jinx” Kira said as she pulled Ty close for a kiss.

“hey guys, I’m in the living room” Chris called back

As they made their way over Chris didn’t know what to do with herself… should she sit or stand? She decided on siting as all this anxiety was making her dizzy.

“hey beautiful” Kira said as she tried to give Chris a kiss, but Chris moved her face so that Kira could only kiss her forehead.

“hi” Ty said as he kissed her cheek.

“Heey, how did the wedding errands go?” Chris said trying to ease into the conversation she wanted to have.

“it was great, everything is finally set, I feel a lot calmer knowing that we finally fixed the issues with the caterers and the floral shop!” Kira gushed

“you should’ve seen Kira get up in the wedding planner’s face when she tried to get us to switch flower vendors to a more expensive company… it was pretty hot seeing her like that” Ty shared as he pulled Kira down to sit with him in the sofa across from the love seat Chris was in. 

“that’s great, I’m sorry I missed that.” Chris smiled as she paused “um so there’s something I really need to share with you guys and it can’t wait ”

“whats going on Chris?” Ty said as he shared confused look with Kira.

“um so let me start by saying, that I’ve had a long time to think about this and consider how I would explain this to you guys… and no matter how many versions of this conversations I’ve rehearsed in my head, it still doesn’t make what I have to say any easier… Do you guys remember the fallen officers scholarship fundraiser we went to around 3 months ago?”

“yeah, that was the one where you finally introduced us to your SWAT family.” Kira said confused.

“yeah, and do you remember I left the fundraiser earlier and didn’t get here until the next morning?”

“yeah, that was the day you agreed to move in with us” Ty answered.

“so what I never told you guys about that night was that Deac’s wife, Annie and I got into an argument over my relationship with you guys because she disagrees with it and she didn’t like that I was talking to their daughter Lila about it. Earlier this year when Annie and Deac had their fourth child, Victoria, Annie made me her godmother, and that night when we got into it, she told me that if she had known I was in a relationship like this, that she would not have made me Victoria’s god mother… The truth is ever since I revealed my relationship with you guys to my family and my SWAT family, everyone has been expressing their concerns. So what Annie said really hurt because she was not the first person who had pushed me away because of this… That night when I looked at you guys and saw you so happy together, without me I didn’t feel like I could share this with you guys so I decided to leave the fundraiser and go find the only other person who I can open up with, my best friend.. Jim. See that night I had really wanted to have you both meet Jim and get to know him, but unfortunately he’s been dealing with some problems with his mom, and so he didn’t end up going.” Chris paused at this point and looked up to see how Ty & Kira were doing… they seemed to still be confused but a bit of apprehension was coming in as they seemed to sense something more had happened. “When I went to Jim’s house, I brought a bottle of whiskey so we could drink and catch each other up on our difficult nights… I had already had a few drinks at the fundraiser and Jim was drinking when I got there, and as we kept talking that night, the bottle whiskey was suddenly empty… since it had gotten so late, I decided it was probably time I went home but as Jim and I hugged goodbye something happened, and we kissed. I wish I could lie and tell you that that is as far as we went, but I felt so vulnerable after that conversation with Annie, and with all the alcohol in my system, I didn’t stop myself from going too far. But as soon as it was over I immediately regretted it. That was the lowest point I’ve ever been in my life. I’ve been riddled with guilt ever since. I’m so sorry I did that, and I know I can never take it back but that night after I left Jim’s place I went to the beach to think about what had just happened and I found the clarity I needed. I had been so scared when you guys asked me to move in, because I’d never been in a relationship like this before, one that felt so stable and I felt so happy in, so when the fog cleared I realized I wanted and needed to commit to you 100% so I came over here and I accepted your offer to move in. And the next time I saw Jim at work I made it clear that we did was a mistake and that from that moment on we could no longer be best friends because it wouldn’t be fair to you guys if I maintained such a close relationship with him outside of work”

Chris finally looked up again to see that both Kira and Ty had been secretly crying… this had really hurt them and she didn’t know if what she had to say next would fix it, or make it better.

“Ever since then I’ve been working on giving as much of myself into our relationship because I really want to make us work, I really need you both to know that. I care about you both so much, and I’ll never forgive myself for hurting you. But there’s one more thing I have to share with you. Around 3 weeks ago, I had to get checked out at the hospital after a particularly nasty altercation I had with a suspect, and while I was there, the doctor ran some more tests when I mentioned that I’d been sick a lot lately. And something irregular came up in my urine and blood tests.” Chris suddenly pulled out the lab report she had gotten from the doctor that day passed it to Ty.

> Miss Christina Alonso
> 
> 30 year old female,
> 
> hCG pregnancy test - (+) positive.
> 
> Patient is at least 3+ weeks along

“is this real?” Kira looked up with tears still streaming down her eyes, but now showing a mix of hurt and joy.

“yes, it is. I’m sorry I withheld this from you guys for so long, but I didn’t feel like I could tell you until I could bring up the courage to finally confess to you guys what happened that night… and also because the doctor estimated that I might be around 3 months pregnant…”

Ty was speechless as he was still processing, but Kira caught on to what Chris meant and suddenly could not hold her anger anymore.

“Are you telling me that this baby might not be Ty’s?” Kira said as she tried to keep her voice in control.

“… yes”

Kira suddenly realized she could not look at Chris any longer and went into her and Ty’s room and slammed the door.

Chris finally broke down in tears as she sat there and realized how messed up this had all gotten. She couldn’t believe she had actually thought this would be something that could be discussed. She was beginning to spiral into her never ending guilt and shame when Ty snapped her out of her head.

“… does he know?” Ty whispered.

“…um… he found out I was pregnant when we had to go undercover two weeks ago because it slipped out as I tried to reason with a gangster that was trying to kill us… he had seen me throw up all day, and kinda put two and two together that I wasn’t just making it up to get us out of trouble… but he has no idea it could be his” Chris had decided that honesty was the best policy from now on.

“are you going to tell him?”

“um… yes, I don’t think I can keep this to myself any longer… you both have a right to know, and since it’s hard to know for sure who the father is right now, I don’t want to deprive either of you of a say in what happens next”

“so are you keeping it? … I’m still trying to figure out how this happened, I thought you were on birth control… and we’ve been so careful” Ty asked

“I was on birth control… but you know it’s only 99% accurate… turns out we’re that 1%. And yeah I am. I’d never considered if I wanted to be a mom before, but now that I’ve had a few weeks to think about it, I’ve come to realize that I really want this…also I feel so connected already. I have a feeling it’s a girl.”

“a girl? Really?” Ty looked at Chris’ abdomen with a small smile.

“yeah, I can’t explain how I know, but it’s just this feeling I can’t shake” Chris took a deep breath “Hey Ty, I’m sorry I put you guys through this… If I could take it back, I would, but I can’t. I totally understand if you need time and space to process everything, and I hope you know that I don’t expect you to take responsibility for her… I made the choice to keep her but you don’t have to be involved if you don’t want to. I um… I’ve made arrangements to stay with my boss tonight so you guys can have some time to yourselves… also I will be talking with Jim this week.”

Chris got up, and put her hand on Ty’s shoulder as she passed by to head for the door where her go bag was ready to go. With a quick look back to see Ty quietly crying as he stared at the pregnancy test results, she walked out the door.


	9. at peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ahhh i love this chapter, its a long one but I really love this one ;)

Hondo was surprised to see Chris at his doorstep with an overnight bag when he opened the door at 6pm. He had just been cooking his famous gumbo for him and Darryl as they enjoyed a quite night in with no grandparents for once.

“ Hi.. could I stay here tonight?” Chris said in a voice so small he barely caught what she said.

“Of course Chris…are you ok? What’s going on?” Hondo replied as he grabbed her bag and let her in.

“ I finally told them… everything. I didn’t think it’d be a good idea if I stayed there tonight after having dropped that bomb”

“well it had to be done… I don’t want to say it, but it took you long enough. And your timing is perfect because my guest bedroom is unoccupied tonight and I’m cooking my famous gumbo”

Chris suddenly smiled at that, she loved Hondo’s gumbo.

“perfect timing indeed, I love your gumbo… and this little lady better love it just as much because I’ve had enough trouble for tonight and the last thing I need is another morning sickness attack” Chris joked as she caressed her growing belly.

Chris thought she would spend that entire night crying, but somehow she felt more at peace than she had in a long time… the only thing nagging at her was the fact that she hadn’t come clean to Street yet, but that was tomorrows problem. Before she went to sleep Chris decided to be proactive and send a quick text to Street.

CHRIS: Hey, are you busy tomorrow? I really need to talk to you.

STREET: um… I gotta talk to my mom’s case worker in the morning, but I can meet you around 1pm?

CHRIS: yeah, that’s perfect. Let’s grab lunch, my treat.

STREET: sounds good, see you tomorrow.

CHRIS: see you tomorrow. Night Jim :)

STREET: night Chris :)

Chris went to bed that night with a smile on her face. The mere thought of seeing Street tomorrow and outside of work made her giddy. She had missed her best friend, her sounding board and confession booth so much these past few months, and it hurt even worst when she knew it was because she had messed it all up. Despite the fact that tomorrow would just bring about even more complications, Chris knew it also opened up new avenues. And she would finally be able to admit it to herself… and maybe one day she’d tell Street, that she was ready to give them a shot. Her apprehensions about being teammates and how this would affect her career and reputation as a SWAT officer had suddenly shifted. She knew now that sooner or later everything would come out, it was inevitable, especially now that with her being pregnant. But her relationship with Street had completely shifted out of her apprehensiveness. No matter how they put it, Street might be the father of her baby, and if that turned out to be true they would not be able to keep that from the team or SWAT for very long. Without the pressure from the work implications, Chris could finally acknowledged that she was completely and utterly in love with Street. She couldn’t help but admit that if it was up to her to decide who’s child she was carrying, she would pick him as the father of her daughter.

Street felt on edge that whole morning, he still could not figure out why Chris had asked him out to lunch. The meeting with his mom’s case worker had run so smoothly, they ended earlier than expected which actually messed him up even more. Now he would have no valid excuse for postponing this lunch, and he had extra time to overthink things as he waited for 1pm to arrive. Since he was close to the place Chris and him had agreed to meet at, Street decided to head into the mall that was a few blocks away. It was only 10:30am when he got there, which meant he had enough time to catch a movie if he wanted to. As he headed up to the theatres to see what was playing, a window display suddenly caught his eye. It was a kid’s store, and there was an infant mannequin that was wearing a biker style miniature leather jacket with a black and white striped onesie and a black tutu, and on its little feet were a pair of miniature black SK8-HI vans. His first thought was Chris… he could already see her daughter wearing something like this. For some reason he could not stop himself from heading inside to take a closer look. The thought of a miniature Chris made his heart glow, he knew that despite the fact that this pregnancy news had broken his heart, he’d never be able to fully separate from them because he already knew he would love that baby as much as its mama. An hour later Jim was returning to pick up his purchase… he had bought the whole outfit, while adding an extra touch.

Chris didn’t know why but she had felt the need to look extra good that day. She could really feel herself taking advantage of that pregnancy glow at the moment, so at least that was making up for all the upchucked meals. She left a note for Hondo on the counter before she headed out, as he and Darryl had gone out earlier to spend his day off together. As Chris tried on a couple of outfits she noticed it was getting a little harder to fit into some of her pants, guess that baby bump was done hiding. She didn’t mind it, today felt like a great day to embrace her new status, so she chose a tighter top and headed out.

When Chris got to the restaurant, street was already sitting, he looked a bit distracted so she decided to sneak up on him.

As she came up from behind him she bent down and whispered close to his ear

“hey stranger” … she honestly had not planned for it to sound as sultry as it did, but when she saw Street’s reaction whatever apprehension she felt, was gone.

Jim had almost jumped out of his seat until he recognized her voice, for a second he wondered if he had somehow dreamed up this whole day but when he felt the trickle of her breath still on his neck, he realized his imagination was not that powerful.

“Hi” he spoke softly as he turned around to hug her while staying seated. Damn did she look good today, and somehow she smelled even better than usual.

Chris did her best to control her impulses as she suddenly wanted to maneuver herself from hugging him to sitting his lap but her train of thought was interrupted when the server had chosen that moment to come up and introduce herself while she asked Chris if she wanted anything to drink.

Chris bolted upright in surprise, but didn’t fully break her embrace with Jim, so he was suddenly face to face with her bump. As Chris answered the waitress, Jim began gradually gravitating towards her, leaning to lay his cheek on her belly, while she unconsciously moved her hands from around his neck to around his head as she ran a hand through his hair, bringing him closer. This had all happened so suddenly and effortlessly that after the waitress walked away, they both taken a moment before choosing to awkwardly break apart, not really knowing how else to address the tender moment they’d just shared.

Jim suddenly remembered the gift he had for Chris, so as she took her seat across from him in the booth, he decided this would be the best time to give it to her.  
“hey, so my meeting ended early and since I was already in the area I ended up passing through the Mall to waste sometime and I found this” he said as he pulled the bag up to pass it over to Chris “ I know you haven’t told a lot of people, and you’re still processing but I kinda couldn’t help myself… I hope that’s ok” Jim explained a bit bashful as she looked at him in surprise while she opened to bag to see what he was referring to. the first thing she saw were the miniature vans, just like the ones she was wearing that day which made her giggle as she rolled her eyes a bit, she then saw the tutu, and the onesie which was 3-6months but still represented the smallest article of clothing she had ever owned, she was already overwhelmed with the beautiful gesture, but when she looked into the bag once more she finally could not hold her tears anymore. As she pulled it out an admired it, Chris laughed, it was a miniature biker style leather jacket that had ’ S.W.A.T. ‘ with a tiny ‘24 David’ underneath embroidered on the back.

“I figured the kid needed a jacket too, as she’s already the youngest member of our team… she’s even making history like her mama having already been out on calls before she’s even born” Jim teased.

And it took everything within her to not jump him right there. She didn’t deserve him. How could she have taken this incredible man for granted? But she knew she couldn’t kiss him, especially when she was about to share some possibly life altering news with him.

“wow… you really got me Jim… I… I don’t even know what to say” Chris finally said with the biggest smile on her face as she wiped away happy tears. “but if you ever tell anyone I cried like this, I will end you… and you know how crazy hormonal pregnant women can get, so don’t test me ” she joked.

“oh never, I know better, trust me” Jim winked back as he held the goofiest grin on his face, he loved seeing her smile and laugh like that, specially knowing it was because of something he did.

Their food suddenly arrived and the waitress couldn’t hold back her awes when she saw the jacket that was still on the table. Once the waitresses walked away however, Jim decided to break the ice once again as he could not contain his anxiety any longer.

“so Chris, what did you need to speak to me about that was so urgent it couldn’t wait?”

Chris suddenly got nervous again, but when she looked up and their eyes locked, their surroundings seemed to fade and she felt safe. She knew she had no reason to be nervous, this gift Street had just given her was already more than enough to assure her that she could tell him the truth. So without overthinking it any longer Chris reached over and grabbed his hand.

“I um… I think first of all I need to begin this with an apology. Jim, I know I’ve been a mess lately, and I took it all out on you. And that wasn’t fair. I know I’ve hurt you a lot these past few months with the actions and decisions that I’ve made without considering how it was affecting you. I know I’ll never be able to take it all back, but I hope someday, if you let me I can make it up to you. You’re my best friend, and I took you for granted, and I’ve missed you so damn much. My life has felt empty and void without you, and I know that was my choice, but I need you to know how much I’ve regretted it. I’m sorry I’ve been so selfish, and that I left you on your own when you were dealing with your mom and you needed me to be there. I need you to know that if I could take all of it back I would, but most of all I’m sorry that I made you believe that that night meant nothing to me, and that I regret it, because that’s the only thing I’d never take back.”

Jim was speechless, but as he had maintained eye contact with her this whole time, she could see that he was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions.

“The reason I needed to meet with you today, is that there’s one more thing I need to confess to you, something that couldn’t wait…When you found out I was pregnant, I hadn’t come to terms with everything so I wasn’t able to really process what it all meant. See when the doctor told me I was pregnant, he was also able to determine how far along I was and when the conception date might have been… Street, this is the second last week of my first trimester… I’m 13 weeks pregnant.” Chris said as she squeezed his hand which she was still holding.

Street was still processing everything… what is she trying to say? he couldn’t bring himself to ask if she was saying what he was beginning to think.. he couldn’t allow himself to grow false hope.. not again.

“Jim? Are you still with me? … are you really going to make me say it?” Chris said as she playfully rolled her eyes, trying to create a moment of levity.

“Fine… I guess I do have to spell it out for you. I think you might be the father of my unborn child.”

A tear suddenly fell from Jim’s eye as he looked down… wow … maybe he really was dreaming, he better pinch himself. But Chris suddenly squeezed his hand harder which brought him back to their conversation. So this was real… wow he might be a dad after all, Jim thought as he could no longer contain the biggest smile he had ever given.

“ are you serious? I might be a dad in 6 months?” Street finally said looking up at her with eyes full of joy and awe.

“yes, but Street I have to be completely honest with you, I don’t know for certain if you or Ty are the father”

This brought it all back to reality… once again he was competing with the couple. When was he ever going to get a win.

“ok ,so what does that mean? How can we find out who the father is?”

“So it turns out that paternity tests are not available this early on in the pregnancy, it’s only around the 6th month that they can do a preliminary test using the amniotic fluid which they can use to narrow down who the father might be… otherwise the complete DNA test can’t be done until after the baby is born.”

“oh…”

“look I know this is a lot, and I pretty much just dropped life altering news on you, but I know that from now on I need to be completely honest, because it’s not just about me anymore. I finally told Ty & Kira everything last night, and they know that you might be the father… But Jim before we go any further I need you to know that I’m not expect anything from you. I know this wasn’t planned, and that it was my choice to keep her, so I need you to know that you have a choice too.”

“Chris, stop, honestly you should know me better than that at this point. What I need you to know is that I already love that little girl as much as I love you… maybe even more, which I didn’t think was possible. Can’t you see? even as I made my way here, I already had you both on my mind. I already know that I want this too, I had never considered if I wanted kids, but when I found out you were pregnant I realized I want to be a dad. So even if it turns out that she’s not biologically mine, that’s not going to stop me from loving her like she’s my own. As long as it comes from you, I will always love it, and she’s a part of you so how could I not love her?”

It took all of Chris self-control not to reach across the table to kiss him. He loved her, he had said it out loud, and he loved their daughter. ‘I really don’t deserve you Jim street’ Chris thought as she wiped the tears from her face she hadn’t noticed were there, of course she was crying. It was hard to keep any emotion to herself now that she was constantly being flooded with hormones.

“maybe you don’t, but that hasn’t stopped me from wanting to stay by your side” Street replied giving her a coy smile. Chris was confused, could he read her mind… oh she must have actually said that out loud. Ugh what was pregnancy doing to her?

“Thank you for loving me and supporting me despite everything, if there’s one thing I’ve come to realize in the past 3 months, is that I really don’t know how to live without you…” Chris said softly as she looked down at her hands. She knew this was starting to enter a dangerous territory, one that she should abstain from approaching, but she knew that he had just laid his heart out on the table and she had to give something back. She might not be able to take back the past 3 months, but she was not about to make the same mistakes twice, or push him away again. The last thing she needed was to break his heart again, when the thing she wanted most was to one day finally show him how much she loved him too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you want to see the outfit, this is kind of what I imagined :  
> LEATHER JACKET : https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiH2q7v2vjmAhWHtZ4KHUzeDosQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.depop.com%2Fproducts%2Ffxybabe-river-island-mini-leather-biker%2F&psig=AOvVaw2efSX1u2T7m4ewsb-Ky1Ee&ust=1578734588642308
> 
> BLACK & WHITE STRIPED ONESIE : https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi-iP-22_jmAhWTop4KHSJxDfoQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dhgate.com%2Fproduct%2Fbaby-romper-kid-clothing-boutique-clothes%2F403068283.html&psig=AOvVaw3IzNu_7htENchycgVtd5Jn&ust=1578734745907170
> 
> BLACK TUTU : https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjmv9iB3PjmAhWjMX0KHSBACRcQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FOPAWO-Girls-Diaper-Headband-Months%2Fdp%2FB07MPFDZB5&psig=AOvVaw0-EQtRzmizB8kpbHFN0lgU&ust=1578734859746307
> 
> SK8-HI VANS (for infants) : https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi5-fSo3PjmAhW1JzQIHZAmB58QjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.nordstrom.com%2Fs%2Fvans-sk8-hi-crib-sneaker-baby%2F4064659&psig=AOvVaw0hXoNA0eg8AlvDD6Ee6d2W&ust=1578734978300578


	10. late night conversations

As Chris headed back to Hondo’s she realized she was going to have to look for a more permanent place to stay. If things were to move forward without any more drama she needed to find neutral territory so that she could have the space to figure out what was best for her and the baby. And if this all lead her back to Street, they’d definitely need a space that had room for growth as they became a family, because Luca’s house was already at max occupancy.

When she sat at dinner with Hondo and Darryl that night, she told them about her lunch with Street and showed them the gift he had given her. Later that night, as she craved a midnight snack she came out to find Hondo sitting at the island. “couldn’t sleep? Or craving?” Hondo teased.

“both?” Chris said as she gave him her most innocent smile. 

“haha…that kids already got you going crazy, huh?”

“oh yeah… and she hasn’t even started kicking yet, I really don’t want to imagine what a teen version of this little lemon is going to do to my sanity”

“oh, I don’t envy you… I got this one as a teen, and that first week he stayed here, I was just about ready to exchange him for a puppy from the pound… that boy was giving me whiplash with how many times his attitude would change in one day”

“do you ever wish you’d gotten a chance to become Darryl’s guardian when he was at younger age?”

“ It crossed my mind once, but I don’t think I would have been ready then, and I think if I had, I could’ve ended up making more damage than the one Leroy did by not being present. You know, people always like to say that you’re never ready to become a parent… and that might be true, but there is a point in your life where you are ready to give parenthood a shot. A point where you finally have all the tools and you want to give it your all. If there’s one thing being Darryl’s guardian has taught me is that the hardest job you’ll ever have is being a parent, even harder than SWAT, but it is not impossible. One thing I know for certain though, is that you are ready. I mean and if you need any proof, just look at street. You were the one that pushed him to grow up and become the man he is today. If it wasn’t for you, who knows where he would be today? I mean just look at his gesture and admission with you today, the street that we met 2 years ago could barely commit to a girl for more than a few hours, and he was definitely not the thoughtful type. But today he was honest, he was caring and he told you he was ready to commit, not just to you but to your child, regardless of her being his biological child. Don’t tell me you hadn’t realized how HUGE that is”

Hondo’s speech brought Chris to tears, because he was right. Since they’d met Chris had seen Jim go through a lot, so she knew why he was the way he was, but most importantly she’d seen him grow significantly which had ultimately brought them closer. Streets declaration had meant so much to her because it not only showed how much progress he had made, but it also assured her that she was not going to go through all of this alone.

“you’re right. I mean I’m still processing what he said, but not only did it make me incredibly proud as his friend, but also as a mother to be it gave me the stability I’ve been searching for ever since I got the news I was pregnant. I know that our SWAT family will always be there for me, but it’s been really scary going through all of this on my own without someone who is sharing the burden that comes with this new responsibility. And I haven’t gotten that from Ty, but at least I know that I won’t be alone through the rest of this because I’ll have Jim.”

“I can relate to that, honestly I don’t know what I would’ve done if my mama hadn’t been there from the beginning. She’s the reason I was able to keep Darryl, and the one who helps balance things out here in the house. I know our SWAT family will always be there for me, but I knew I couldn’t burden you with all of this, specially knowing how difficult it would get with Darryl being a teen felon.”

Chris decided this was the best Segway she was going to get to bring up what was really bothering her tonight. “I’m glad your mom was able to step in to help because we can all see how big of a difference Darryl’s life is now, and that’s all thanks to you guys… so since we’re talking about the SWAT fam… I need your advice.. when should I tell them the news Hondo? And how much should I tell them? Also what about Hicks and Lt Lynch… do I need to inform them now too? - ”

“ok Chris just slow down for a minute and take a deep breath… So first things first, telling the team shouldn’t be too hard, the only people you still have to share this with are Luca, Deac and Tan so we could invite them over tomorrow after shift for a couple of beers and you can share the news then, if that’s something you want to try?”

“that’s a great idea, thank you boss!”

“when it comes to how much you want to share, I think you should check with Street on that. The only comfort I can offer you is that the hardest part of coming out with that was when you told me because I’m the team lead. Like I told you when you shared that, what you shared with me that night was you telling your friend not your boss, and I meant that so you don’t have to worry about me taking this up to Hicks. But now talking to you as your boss, I will be keeping my eye on both of you as things move further along. You don’t have to worry about me policing your relationship, but I do have the responsibility of keeping everyone on our team safe and I will not allow anything that will jeopardize that. So if your relationship with him becomes a liability I will be forced to report it, but I’ll give you a chance to come clean with Hicks yourselves first before I seek disciplinary action. But we don’t have to worry about that right now Chris, and I hope it doesn’t have to come to that any time soon. Once the baby is born and the paternity gets clarified, if Street ends up being the father you both will have to declare the change in your relationship, and one of you will most likely end up having to transfer to another team. But Chris like I said that is all in the future, and I don’t think you have to worry about it just yet. And if you and Street decide to tell the team the full story tomorrow I promise to give you my full support.”

“I understand boss, and I’ll make sure Street does too. I’ll ask him to come early tomorrow so we can discuss what we’re going to share and then we’ll let you know. Thank you, for allowing us the time to figure this out before we have to go deal with all the bureaucracy”

“come on Chris you know I always got your back!... now for the last part. I know you’ve been pretty scared about what the repercussions will be once you reveal the fact that you’re pregnant. Well I did a little digging, and reached out to some old friends and I know for a fact that despite there being very little about this in terms of SWAT, there have been cases before with detectives, undercover agents and firefighters who faced similar barriers. So there are three things I know for sure, one is that in terms of labour law and all the progress women rights movements has made, that the law is on your side, so it’d be a very bad move for the department to try anything like that with you, specially since you’re the first female to have ever made it on to metro SWAT. The second thing I found out is that the most likely approach within the department from what I understand is that this pregnancy would be regarded like a serious injury that requires time off, rehab and a PQT to get back on to full duty. And the third is that if play it by the book by being honest and you report it yourself, as early on as you can then that leaves them with very little room to try to use this to kick you off SWAT. So I think you should tell Hicks.. the sooner the better.”

Chris was once again crying as she got up to go hug Hondo. “thank you boss, thank you so much! You have taken a huge burden off of me now”

Chris finally realized how late it had gotten. “ok shit, well we should probably go to sleep, it’s almost 2am! we only have four hours of sleep left!”

As she headed off to sleep she decided to send Jim a quick text to give him a heads up about tomorrow’s plans.  
  


1:57am

CHRIS: Hey, are you awake?

STREET: Hi :) yeah… I guess I’m still processing everything that happened today, why are you still up? 

CHRIS: SAME, there’s just too much on my mind…

CHRIS: I think I’m finally ready to tell the team our news and I was planning on maybe doing it tomorrow.

CHRIS: But before I do I think we need to decide how much we’re ready to share. Also… Hondo already knows… everything. It’s a long story, and I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow…but just think about it and let me know?

STREET: wow ok, I promise to think about it, haha just add it to the list of things I need to ponder tonight… so I think it’s only fair that you get me coffee tomorrow to make up for the sleepless night I’m about to have ;)

CHRIS: ok, well then you better get ready to rub my feet after work tomorrow because this baby is already tiring me out, and I’m pretty sure it’s your fault somehow ;)

STREET: deal :) now go to sleep, I need you both relaxed and well rested tomorrow!

CHRIS: Night Jim :) see you tomorrow x

STREET: Night Chris :) x

Chris kept her promise as she made sure she stopped by their favourite coffee shop on her way in the next morning. She was a bundle of nerves and excitement, but she knew either way this would be a great day. It was becoming way too exhausting trying to hide her pregnancy when it was a rollercoaster of physical, mental and emotional challenges. She needed to start focusing her energy on her and the baby’s wellbeing, not on the drama that surrounded how she got there in the first place. This was good, she knew that no matter what she’d have her team’s support and that was exactly what she needed in order to thrive.

Street had not lied about a sleepless night. In just 24 hours he had gone through more emotions than he thought possible. Aside from considering his complicated relationship with Chris, now he had a whole new chapter of his life opening up : _**fatherhood**_. He hadn’t lied to Chris when he told her that not only was he ready, but he wanted this, he was ready to put in the work and make sure he was the best dad ever. However that didn’t seem to stop doubts from creeping in, after the father and male role models he’d had growing up, would he really be able to provide this child with the structure they needed? What if he disappointed them like his parents disappointed him? Honestly that was a whole road he didn’t want to go down… because then he’d have to also consider how this weird complicated limbo situation with Chris would ultimately affect their child. It was no longer just about them. And then there was telling the team… how would they take it? Would they blame him? After all he was seen as the screw up, what if they thought it was him who crossed the line and pushed Chris to step out on Ty & Kira? This was just… on a whole other level, but he knew that Chris would have his back, despite all the craziness he somehow still knew she’d be there in some capacity. They had an unbreakable bond, at least that part couldn’t be denied.

“hey, you look like crap. What were you doing last night? I heard you pacing around, and then you were gone this morning when I woke up. is everything ok?” Luca asked when he walked into the locker room where Street was just coming out of the shower the next morning. He had decided to get an early workout to help clear his mind. The last thing he needed was to be distracted today, especially if they were going to share their news, he needed the team to see him at his best.

“yeah, I just couldn’t sleep last night. Too much on my mind, you know I saw my mom’s case worker yesterday and she still doesn’t want to see me and it’s just been a little hard that’s all. I decided to come in for an early workout to just burn off all that nervous energy. The last thing I need is my mom and her issues getting in the way of my career here at SWAT again.” Street felt bad about not being honest with Luca, but he knew it would all make a lot more sense tonight so that eased his guilt.

Before Luca could continue their conversation, the locker room door opened as Chris came in carrying two cups ( decaf tea for her and coffee for Jim… yup, turns out caffeine is pretty bad for pregnant women so she’s starting to cut it out … yay).

“hey hey, coffee delivery” Chris joked as she came in, she had the goofiest smile on and was about to say something else a little more NSFW because Jim was only wearing a towel, when she noticed Luca was also in the room.

“oh hey Luc, I didn’t know you were here yet!” Chris exclaimed hoping that the blush and sudden awkwardness she felt wasn’t obvious.

“hey Chris, what’s this I hear about coffee delivery?” Luca said as he came up to see what she was carrying.

“Oh sorry Luca, I didn’t bring you any, this was just me paying Street for a bet I lost last week” Chris hoped he bought that and didn’t ask any more questions, but this was Luca.

“Street actually won something? Wow ok, now that’s a story I need to hear”

“Hey, I’m right here and that hurt. I can’t believe you have such little confidence in me Luca” street feigned anger and hurt. But just with that he had managed to shift the conversation enough so Luca would stop asking questions.

“oh get out of here man, and go put a shirt on while you’re at it!” Luca said jokingly

“Oh don’t worry, I am out of here! …but not before I grab my well-earned and deserved cup of coffee!” Street taunted as he walked up to Chris and winked as he grabbed one of the cups from her. He may be oblivious but he was not blind and he definitely saw Chris check him out and the blush that was on her cheeks now that he was closer.

“ok, now we’re even” Chris said in a mock serious tone.

Luca then saw a text and a missed call from Tuana so he left to find more privacy in order to call her back. The team didn’t know it yet, but they’d stated seeing each other and he was happier than he’d ever been before.

So Chris and Jim had the locker room to themselves. Probably not the most ideal situation with Street almost naked and Chris being very hor…monal. There were some very naughty dreams she’d had last night that were coming back to her at this very moment.

“So, did you get any sleep last night?” Street began as he took a sip from his cup… ‘wait this isn’t coffee’ he suddenly realized as he frowned looking at the cup “wait what is this? Is this tea?”.

This all snapped Chris out of the trance she was in when she heard his voice. “huh? … oh sorry you must have taken my cup, this is your coffee” she said as she switched their cups “and yeah I got some sleep last night”

“that’s good, I’m glad you got some rest. Also wait, why are you drinking tea? Didn’t you tell me once that the day you stopped drinking coffee would be the day I’d need to bring you to a hospital?” Street asked as he wagged his eyebrows at her.

“yess I did say that, but I’ve been doing some reading and it turns out coffee is really bad for pregnant women, it can lead to miscarriage or the baby being born below the expected birth weight, so I’m not taking any chances.”

“oh ok wow, I had no idea. Seems like there’s so much I have to learn still. But we’re gonna get through this together, I promise! … just like when WE tell the team tonight.” he said moving up and tentatively grabbing her hand. As she looked up with a smile and was about to reply the door opened, making them jump apart.


	11. SWAT Family Gumbo at Hondo's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so this is one of the last bits I had written originally, and I'm still working on the following chapters. I promise to finish this story, but you might have to be a bit patient with the rest, because I'm back in uni and I don't have as much time. that being said I probably will finish this sooner rather than later cause I like it too much, and I hate leaving a story unfinished :)

Tan and Deac were coming in to change for their shift.

“Good morning, looks like you two got here early” Tan commented

“everything ok?” Deac said noticing the weird atmosphere in the room and their awkward faces.

“huh yeah, I was just about to go put some clothes on… so I better go do that before Hondo gets here” street said scurrying off to get dressed.

“you know what that was about?” Deac asked Chris.

“nope, no idea” Chris quickly replied as she also grabbed her gear and went to change in the ladies bathroom.

That shift had been fairly relaxed which was a relief for both of them, the last thing they needed was any more stress today. Chris hadn’t gotten another moment alone with Street that day though, so she was still a bit on edge. When they were heading back to the locker rooms Hondo called stopped and asked them to meet at his house a bit later for a nice family dinner and he did not take no for an answer.

Hondo made his famous gumbo which they all loved, and as they all sat there and reminisced Street locked eyes with Hondo who smiled and nodded. This small gesture was all Street needed to know things were going to be ok, and that Hondo was supportive of them. This was Hondo’s way of giving them the go ahead. Street who was sitting next to Chris decided to nudge with his knee, he was going to follow her lead. Chris looked at him confused until he smiled and nodded towards Hondo who gave her an encouraging smile and nod. This was it, time for the big reveal.

“hm… hey everyone, can I get your attention for a minute, there’s something important I have to share with you all” Chris started as she tried to get everyone’s attention.

All conversations came to an end as they turned to her and gave her their full attention. Chris looked at all of the curious eyes on her and suddenly felt very nervous, until she felt a reassuring hand on her knee. She didn’t have to look down to see that Street was behind the gesture, trying to reassure her and himself that they could do this. Knowing he was there with her, was all she needed to move forward with the announcement.

“so, I don’t even know where to start with this but um… I think it’s better if I just come out and say it and then explain the rest after… I’m pregnant!” Chris rambled out pretty quick as she closed her eyes…as if she was waiting for the impact.

“what?” Deacon was the first to react in an excited tone. This was enough for Chris to open up her eyes again so she could see his face. Deacon seemed surprised but in a good way. Tan and Luca were speechless.

“yup, three months last week. I know this comes a surprise, but it’s a complicated situation which is why I didn’t tell you guys right after I found out. I needed to figure me out, and figure this out before I could even consider sharing it with anyone”

“we understand Chris, this is huge! But we’re really happy you’re telling us now, and we’re so excited to meet the little guy!” said Luca finally getting over his initial shock and being the loveable understanding brother she knew she could always count on.

“yeah, Congrats Chris, you’re going to be an amazing mom!” Tan replied.

“so.. um are Ty & Kira excited?” Deac cautiously asked. Chris decided to avoid directly answering his question and jumping into the next part of the announcement.

“well… that’s not all of the news I have to tell you guys. Um… there’s another reason as to why I’ve kept you guys in the dark for a couple of weeks. See when I found out I was pregnant, it was obviously a huge surprise, but after they did a lot of the tests, I also got to find out how far along my pregnancy was which brought up more news for me… you see…” Chris suddenly didn’t know how to Segway into the next part of her announcement … all of her fears returning, because she knew this part was going to be a lot more complicated, and messy, and maybe even shameful.

“I..umm-” Chris tried to find the words but still none would come out when street cut her off as squeezed her thigh where he still had his hand.

“What Chris is trying to say, is that when she found out the estimate of what her conception date might have been, she realized that I might be the baby’s father.” Street decided to get straight to point knowing there was no easier way to do this, so he might as well rip the band-aid off.

“wait WHAT??” Luca exclaimed confused and already getting agitated… now this was HUGE.

“look, this is so much more complicated than what we could possibly explain over one meal. But Chris and I made a mistake… we were both in a bad place emotionally and so we got drunk one night and crossed a line. I know you guys know we’ve been a little out of sync recently and it’s because we regret how it all went down. And look, I can’t speak for Chris, only for myself, but I have mixed feelings about that night, as clearly it has been both a blessing and a curse. Of course the guilt of doing things the way we did is what bothers me the most, but it happened, and we can’t change that now so we’re moving forward. I hope you guys know that it was never my intention to fuck up again, specially like this. But I love Chris, and I’m excited about this baby, and I will stand by her and Chris through all of this whether she’s biologically mine or not, so I hope we can all focus on that and not how she might have been conceived”

“she?” Tan asked raising his eyebrows. Chris appreciated this lighter tone and line of questioning and finally regained her voice.

“um yeah, **she** , I don’t know how to explain it but I just know I’m… **we** are having a girl. I guess Street kinda jumped on board with the girl idea too… look I know you guys probably have a ton of questions about this but to make things easier, I guess I’ll answer the most obvious ones now: yes, Ty & Kira know… about everything, and I don’t know where my relationship with them stands at the moment. One because they’re still getting married, tomorrow is actually their big day. And two because I didn’t come clean about Street and I until I told them about my pregnancy. Also, you guys should know that Street and I only shared that one night 13 weeks ago. We did not have an affair, and I cut off our friendship two days later. I made the decision that we could only have a professional relationship right after because I didn’t want to take any more chances. We are also not in a relationship right now. Yes I’ve of course decided to keep the baby, and we will be getting a paternity test done as soon as it’s possible, which will be after the baby is born. Oh and one more thing, **yes,** Hondo has known about this a bit longer than all of you, and he has not gone easy on me. So I can promise you that he will not allow anything that will jeopardize the team or you guys’ safety.”

“wow, well this is a lot, but first of all CONGRATULATIONS Chris! You’re going to be an incredible mother, I have no doubt about that” Deac finally said, with a pause while looking Chris in the eye once she looked back up. He then turned to Street and gave him a steely look as he said “You know Chris is like my daughter, and you know the strengths I will go to when it comes down to protecting my family, now I like you kid, but if you fuck this up, you will be answering to all of us, because Chris is special to every single one of us here at this table…” Deac then smiled as he continued “now that I’ve gotten that part out of the way, I want you to know that I know how much you care about Chris, and this team, because I’ve had a front row seat to all of it. And I know for a fact that you will be a great father, because in the past two years I’ve seen all the growth you’ve gone through, and I can see the incredible man you’ve become. I’m proud of you Jim”

This brought tears to Chris’ eyes ( stupid hormonesss) and of course to Street, who tried to hide it but couldn’t. “Thanks Deac, I hope you know how much that means to me, and I promise I will not let you down.” Street replied as he got up and went around to hug Deac, which turned Chris into a sobbing mess, bring the attention back to her.

“you doing ok there Chris?” Tan asked as he raised his eyebrows a bit at this rare, weird sight.

“yeah… I’m… good, I just cry at everything now thanks to all the hormones… last night I cried over a commercial I saw on TV” Chris rolled her eyes as the others giggled.

“this is so weird, honestly it’s like the Twilight Zone, it’s going to get some getting used to this new side to you” Tan replied as the others nodded in agreement.

“you know, I’m not the only one who’s getting soft over these news. The day I was going to tell street that he might be the father, he showed up with a little gift for the baby, it was something he saw while he walked around the mall.” Chris replied, making all of them look at her, then at Street who had been sending her pleading eyes asking her not to show them what he had gotten their baby. But it was too late, as Luca had jumped up and exclaimed that he just had to see this, so Chris had brought it out.

“wow, that I did NOT see coming… guess we know who is in charge of wardrobe when this little biker fashionista comes out” Hondo Joked.

“you know, weirdly enough this is exactly what I’d expect a child that’s both of yours to look like, I can almost picture her now” Luca smiled.

“oh yeah, nothing says unity like matching styles. You know what they say, the family that wears leather Jackets together, stays together” Tan joked, making them all laugh

“I hope you both know that there is no way you’re going to be able to tie a car seat to Street’s bike, right?” the laughter continued and both Street and Chris hearts felt like they were glowing. This night had gone even better than what they had planned and prepared for, but tomorrow, was just a whole other deal.


	12. the text message

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IM BACK! sorry its been so long, but we're getting there! hopefully I get some inspiration and writing time this weekend!

\----

The next morning was Ty & Kira’s wedding, and Chris would be lying if she said it didn’t break her heart a little to realize that. When she had first started dating them Chris had tried to give Ty a chance, but she had always held out hope that Kira would eventually realize that Chris was a better match for her than Ty and call off the wedding. That was, of course, before she realized that she herself was in love with Street. But still, that didn’t make her love for Kira null. Sure Ty was a good guy, but Chris had never fallen for him, no matter how hard she had tried to make things work. It was only during the last few weeks that this had all finally clicked. There was never going to be a future with Ty, Kira was never going to leave him, and at the end of the day the person Chris was truly in love with was Street. So dear god please let this child be his… she didn’t know how to handle the idea that the baby could be Ty’s … she wasn’t sure she could make that work at this point.

So what was she supposed to do today? It was only 4am and she had barely slept that night, her mind plagued with ‘what if’ scenarios. Should she text them and ask if they want her there? If they did want her there, she didn’t want to go alone… but who could she bring? Definitely not Jim, even though he’s the only date she would want… that wound is way too fresh and the last thing she wants is to make things more awkward. Maybe she should wait and see if they call or text her, take a cue from them. The last time they talked she had dropped a huge bomb on them and she wasn’t sure how much they had processed.

Around 6am Ty sent her a text

Ty: Hey Chris, I hope you’re doing alright. I wanted to let you know that Kira and I have spent the past few days going over the final details for the wedding and of course, processing the news you gave us. It hasn’t been easy. I wish I could tell you that we forgive you and that we’re ready to move past this, but there’s so many layers to this situation that we still need to unpack, that I don’t know if both of us will ever get there. Unfortunately, Kira is having a harder time processing all of this than I am. I know you never meant to hurt us, but this has caused us a lot of pain and uncertainty, and I honestly don’t know how we will move past it… I hate to say this, but maybe it’d be best if you didn’t come today. I don’t mean to cause you any pain by saying this, but I feel like it’ll be too difficult for all of us if you came. I think we should take some more time apart to see how we can move forward. Kira and I will be on our honeymoon for a week, we leave tomorrow, so maybe when we get back, we can all sit down and discuss what comes next.

…

As soon as Chris read this, she fell apart. Wow, this was it, her relationship with Ty & Kira was over. Sure she had finally realized that they were never going to last, but it still didn’t make this hurt any less. It specially hurt that Kira had been so mad, that she wouldn’t even speak to Chris, and that Ty had been the one to uninvite her from their wedding. She spent the next hour crying as she realized how complicated this had all turned. How could she move forward with them after this, especially if the baby turned out to be Ty’s? also, where would she live? Of course, a part of her already knew that the answer was less of a place and more of a person ( _Street_ ). But now that it seemed most of the barriers that were keeping them apart had been torn down, she started to feel scared. Should she do this? I mean she clearly was no good at serious relationships, and neither was he. And did he even want to be like that with her? I mean sure he had quickly taken on to the idea of becoming a dad, but did he want to also pursue a serious relationship with her?... Did she want to pursue a serious relationship with him? That last one had a simple answer. _**YES**_. There was nothing more to it, she’d never been the kind of girl who saw herself getting married, or raising a family with someone. But lately, with the pregnancy her perception of her future had changed, and suddenly it wasn’t so difficult to picture her future family… and her future husband. And in every single one of those fantasies, James Street was front and centre. Ugh when did he turn her into such a goof ball cliché? As If he was reading her mind, her phone pinged as a text from street had just come in.

Street: Good morning beautiful, how are you and our little lemon doing today?

Chris: We are doing ok, although this mama would be a lot better if she had gotten more sleep…

Street: is everything ok? Do you need anything?

Chris: yeah, actually … I kinda need you... if that’s ok. Can you come over?

Street: be there in 30. Any snacks I should pick up on my way there ;) ?

Chris: ahh actually can you get me some of Xiomara’s pupusas? The baby is craving her cooking :O

Street: of course! Anything else?

Chris: not for now… I’ll update you if anything changes.

Street: haha ok, see you soon :)

Since they had the day off, Hondo had taken Darryl and his father on a day trip outside the city to check out some hiking trails and some farms. This had seemed great when Chris had assumed she’d be at the wedding all day, but now that she was there by herself with no one to keep her from going crazy she was thankful Street had gotten there faster than she could overthink the situation. For once Street’s insane driving was greatly appreciated as he got to Hondo’s house in record time with exactly what Chris had been craving. After putting on a movie and eating Xiomara’s delicious cooking, Chris felt a lot better, especially now that she had her best friend right by her side. Street had allowed her to take things at her own pace, and had kept the conversation light, knowing she would share if she wanted to.

“so, any plans for today? or do we just want to stay indoors all day?” Street asked as the movie ended.

This had unexpectedly created the perfect Segway for Chris to finally open up about the text Ty had sent her.

“today is Ty & Kira’s wedding… which I was uninvited to this morning” Chris said quietly

“oh…wait, they uninvited you? … wait, were you going to go?” Street asked before he could stop himself

“ yeah, I don’t know honestly. That’s actually why I couldn’t sleep. Because I didn’t know if I should go, and who I should go with, and if they even wanted me to go…we hadn’t really talked since I told them about that night and about the baby. And well, I’ve been staying here ever since. Ty texted me this morning and said things were still just too painful right now, and they are both still very angry and hurt so it’d probably be best if I didn’t go”

“Ah I see… I’m so sorry Chris, you know I never meant to blow up your relationship. God. I really fucked this up, didn’t I?” Street said feeling defeated as he looked down.

“wait, you think this is your fault? Jim I could’ve stopped at any time.” Chris said as she lifted his chin up so he would look at her again, but keeping her hand there to make sure he wouldn’t shift away from her again “You know, that night… I’ve never regretted what we did… and you were right, it was a mutual moment. The only thing I regret is having done that when I was in a relationship with someone else. Because what I did wasn’t fair to you or them. And what I especially regret, is how I handled things afterwards. Because I rushed to what I thought was the right choice, and that only led all of us to more hurt, and to wasting our time. But you and I… this baby… I’ll never, ever regret that, and I definitely will never blame you for it. If you want to blame anyone, blame me. Because I was the one that messed it up.. the one that messed us up” Chris said intently, and during the course of her speech she had inadvertently moved very close to Street, which was making it harder to breathe as she took in his beautiful eyes.

“Chris, I’ll never blame you. You’ve given me more than I’ll ever be able to repay you. You’re my best friend, you’re my person. You’re the mother of my child. Let’s stop trying to find someone to blame, because WE made this choice, and I’ll never regret it either. honestly, that night is one of the best nights of my life and I wouldn’t change it for anything, because it gave me us, and It gave us _her_ ” street said as one of his hands moved to hold her other hand which was unconsciously laying on her stomach, while the other went to lay on her cheek.

Chris couldn’t stop herself, even if she wanted to when she pushed herself forward to kiss Street, trying to put all the emotions she was feeling into that one kiss. At first Street was too surprised to respond, but once he realized what was happening he kissed her back with as much emotion as she was putting. Both of them finally feeling relief after everything that had happened over the past few months. As they came up for air, suddenly the atmosphere got more tense as Chris leaned in again, this time kissing down Street’s jawline to his neck which elicited a groan from him. This just edged Chris on, as she couldn’t get enough of him, kissing back up his neck to reach his lips again. Street was having a hard time thinking, let alone analyzing what this all meant. Suddenly Chris phone on the coffee table began ringing, partly breaking the trance they were in. “I think that’s your phone” Street said between kisses.

“… let it ring” Chris said, too focused on kissing street as she moved to straddle him. During the change in position Street saw the caller ID and immediately stopped. “it’s Kira” he said somberly. This snapped Chris out of her trance as well as she awkwardly dismounted Street and picked up her phone.


	13. the phone call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY I SUCK and didn't update for a bit! MIDTERM SEASON HIT ME LIKE A TRUUUUCK + the weather keeps changing where i live, so yay winter death has arrived. i've been sick for a bit which just make everything go out of whack, but i'm BACK! I have my semester break in 2 weeks so hopefully i'll have the story finished and fully updated around then :)

“hello?” Chris asked tentatively.

“…hey Chris..” Kira said sadly.

“hi… um.. how’s the wedding?” Chris said, then mentally kicked herself for asking that. She decided this should probably be a more private conversation so she moved out of the living room and headed into the room she’d been sleeping in, signalling Street that she’d be right back.

“its great. I’m just getting ready right now. Um… Ty told me that he texted you, asked you not to come… Chris, I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to hurt you… although you definitely hurt us. But this is our day, and there’s just too much baggage right now that we don’t want to deal with when it comes to us three”

“look Kira, I totally understand that. But I think since you’re being honest, I should be honest too. Um these past few days have been important for me too… specially when it comes to deciding what it is that I want for me and for my daughter. Look, I love you Kira, but I don’t love Ty. I gave my best to this relationship but no matter how hard I tried I realized we’re never going to be what the other needs. If I’m being completely honest, I’ve felt like a third wheel for a long time now. This relationship is not equal anymore, and I’m not sure if it ever was, but after today it definitely never will be. So I think moving forward, especially with this pregnancy, I think we should do so as friends, not as a couple anymore. Because it wouldn’t be fair to me, and it also wouldn’t be fair to you. See the other thing I realized during the past few days is that I can’t deny that I’m in love with Jim Street anymore. I don’t know how things will go forward after today, but I promised you I’d never keep anything more from you so that’s why I’m telling you all of this today.”

Kira stayed quiet for a while, until eventually in a quiet voice she replied “you’ve always been in love with him, haven’t you? Since before you and I even met… I want to be mad at you but I can’t, because how I’m feeling right now is exactly how you feel about me and Ty, isn’t it?...”

“yeah…”

“look, um I have to go finish getting ready for the wedding … but we’ll talk about the baby situation when we get back. Goodbye Chris” And she hung up.

Chris wanted to cry but also she felt relieved. She was finally honest with everyone in her life, and now she no longer had to feel guilty about loving Street.

Street didn’t know what to do with himself as he waited for Chris to return from her phone call. Suddenly he got a text that something was up with Deac and his family who had gotten caught up in a shooter situation. He knew they had to go but he didn’t want to interrupt Chris and possibly cause her any issues if Kira overheard, so he decided to wait for her to come out of her room.

After Chris finished her phone call she took a couple of minutes before coming out to see Street again. She had finally done it, she’d broken up with Ty & Kira which meant that she had no more excuses or reasons to avoid this, it was time she told Street how she really felt about him. It was time for her to confess her love. However as she came out, her phone vibrated before she had even reached the living room. Rocker had texted her to tell her about an ongoing shooter situation at the flower market where Deac and his family had been that morning. As soon as she reached Street he had all their stuff ready to go, it seemed he had gotten the news a few minutes earlier and was waiting for her. Chris decided to head to the scene to check on Deac, Annie and the kids, while Street would go check in at headquarters. As Street was getting on his bike, Chris couldn’t help herself as she walked over to him and pulled him into a hug, kissing his cheek after whispering “be safe”. Before she could walk away Street pulled her back around by the hand he was still holding and kissed her softly then as they pulled away they rested their foreheads against each other, he said “you two also be safe… I love you” then he pulled back, put his helmet on, and drove off.

Chris stood there in a dazed state for a few minutes with her hand on her mouth, savouring the lingering tingling from the kiss. She then remembered that time was of the essence and she had to go, so jumped in her truck and headed to the scene.

As soon as she got there she put on her Kevlar vest and ran to Deac who was standing off to the side talking to Stevens.

“DEAC!” Chris called out once she got closer, and Stevens walked away to let them have a moment.

“ Rocker texted me, got here as soon as I could… you good?” Chris said as she pulled him into a hug.

“ yeah I’m good…still processing” Deac said

“how about Annie and the kids?” Chris asked

“Annie is a rock, you know, but the kids are freaked. I can’t imagine what they’re thinking” Deac said.

“probably that their dad kicked ass, kept them safe and handled the situation!” Chris replied.

“yeah well… so much for a quiet day out with the family” Deac said as he looked down at their trampled stroller. And Chris couldn’t help but feel for them. Being a SWAT officer was a 24/7 gig… how was she going to handle all of this once her baby was born? With both Street and herself, how would they make sure their daughter was always safe and taken care of?

That night the case got worse, and Deac’s family was specifically targeted by the drug traffickers they were after. After his house got shot up, the team was informed and they all came in to help them settle into HQ where they would be staying until the perps were caught. Chris and Street had both headed back to their own places earlier that night, too tired to have the conversation that needed to happen. Street got to HQ before Chris and decided to help Annie with the kids while Hondo and Deac looked into the shooting. As Street was playing with Matthew, Annie came over with Victoria in her arms and sat down on the cot opposite to them.

“you’re pretty good with him, I think you’re going to be a great dad” Annie said smiling.

Street was initially caught off guard, but then remembered there was no way Deac would keep news like this to himself.

“you really think so?” Street asked quietly

“of course. David told me what you said at dinner the other night. This baby might not be here yet, but you’re already a dad Jim, we can all see that you’ve already embodied this new responsibility. You know, David’s really proud of you… Chris, is our family and anything that happens to her affects us, but I think you are good for her, and you two are a good thing, you bring out the best in each other, and that’s rare and beautiful and I hope you don’t lose that. Also I hope I get some credit in all of this, because as I understand it, I might be a big part of the reason this baby exists in the first place, so…you know when it comes to naming rights, godmother and aunt duties, planning a baby shower, etc I better be one of the first people you call “ Annie said jokingly.

As she was saying this, Victoria reached out for Street to pick her up, so Annie passed her over. And Matthew, who began getting very sleepy was now resting his head on Street’s lap. Before Street could reply to Annie’s last remark, Tan, Luca and Chris walked in.

“hey kids! You get hungry I brought some shucos and tapaches! Man this stuff is yum yum yummy!” Luca exclaimed as he walk in running to Lyla and Samuel who were playing in another cot.

“and I brought some sandwiches and snacks for you and the kids!” Chris told Annie as she came up to them. It was then that she noticed Street and the position he was in and her heart glowed. He was in full dad mode as he held Victoria with his right arm while he lovingly caressed Mathew’s back and head with his left hand to help him fall asleep. If swooning was something one could do, then that’s literally what Chris was doing at this moment. She unknowingly began walking towards him when Victoria noticed her and extended her arms towards Chris asking her to pick her up.

“hey Tori, my beautiful goddaughter! wow you are getting so big and beautiful!” Chris said as she picked up Victoria and rested her on her hip, putting her other arm around Street’s waist as she sat down on his right side. Street wrapped his arm around her waist and she laid her head on his shoulder.

Annie smiled as she took in the sight, these two idiots were so in love, that the whole world knew… except maybe them. She really hoped they finally figured it out and got together, or she was going to have to interfere. There was no way she was going to let them walk away from this when they were already such a cute family. They just clicked. As she watched them play with the kids, she decided they’d definitely be needing more practice, so maybe she should get them to start babysitting from time to time. They were already so good with her kids, maybe this will be the perfect way to show them what a great parenting team they are about to become.


	14. Annie and Chris finally talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kay I felt bad for keeping you guys waiting so I decided to give you this short chapter. this is one of the last things I've written so i'm sorry if its a bit rushed, but i promise to give you guys the rest sooon !

Once they were able to capture all the drug traffickers, and Deac’s family was once again safe, and ready to leave HQ, Annie went to find Chris needing to finally clear the air. She found Chris in the change room looking at herself in front of the mirror. Chris had never been someone that obsessed over her appearance, so this was definitely new, and yet completely endearing since she knew the reason behind it.

“hey” she said softly, trying not to startle Chris.

“oh, hey! How are you and the kids doing?” Chris replied. This made Annie’s guilt grow, despite the way she had treated Chris at the fundraiser, Chris had never changed or stopped caring about her and the kids in those following months. And she definitely hadn’t let it affect her relationship with David. Chris was a true friend, and Annie felt like she had let her down.

“oh um.. we’re fine, I should be asking you how you are! I heard it got a little rough out there?” Annie replied.

“it was ok, nothing we couldn’t handle...But I will admit I’m a lot more conscious of mine and _now_ Streets actions in the field…how do you handle it Annie? How are you able to deal with Deac, the father of your children, going out there every day and putting his life on the line?” Chris spilled out her inner thoughts as she unconsciously rubbed the bump that was barely there.

“I just trust that he’s going to come home to me every night, and he does. It’s just trust and faith Chris. Trust that they will be ok, that you guys will have his back, and that he will be conscious of the dangers and will protect himself because he knows how much we need him… how much I need him, faith that our love will transcend all barriers and protect him since I physically can’t” Annie said coming over to put her hand on Chris’ shoulder. Chris pulled her in for a hug.

“there was a moment today when Street launched himself at one of our suspects who was armed and trying to escape on a motorcycle, and it took everything in me not to kill him for being so reckless. But at the same time when I came over to handcuff the suspect, I also just wanted to pull him into my arms and never let him go… but I can’t do that, and I can’t keep thinking like that, I can’t be so off balance! I swear, these hormones are driving me insane!” Chris said as she cried into Annie’s shoulder.

“ you’re in love with Jim, aren’t you?” Annie said after a few minutes of Chris silently sobbing.

“…yes” Chris replied.

“then why are you still with someone else, Chris? I don’t understand that… Jim is clearly in love with you too, so what’s holding you back?” Annie replied.

“… I’m scared. Isn’t that ridiculous? I’m literally in SWAT, and I’m the first female SWAT officer of the LAPD, I run into dangerous and unpredictable situations every single day. But this love I feel for Jim… and for this baby… is scarier and more unpredictable than anything I’ve ever faced before. And I have no idea what to do about it. Like there’s so many things that can mess this up for us. first of all, if we get together they’ll probably transfer one of us out of 20 squad… so that’d suck, since Jim has worked tirelessly to get here. And what about our child? How can we justify putting ourselves in danger every day when we have a little one at home? I love my job Annie and I don’t want to give it up… but I also don’t want to ask Jim to give it up… so what does that mean for our baby? What if something happens to both of us? who will take care of her then?” Chris said as she pulled back to look at Annie.

“Ok that’s a lot, let me address that one anxiety at the time. It’s perfectly fine to be scared Chris.. I may not show it, but I’m scared all the time. You know when we were first pregnant that was the scariest time of my life, especially as all the same questions you just vocalized went through my head. What if David doesn’t come home one day? That’s a possibility every time he goes out with you guys… so what if it happened today or tomorrow, or next week or next month? What if he never got a chance to meet his daughter? Or what if our daughter never got to meet her dad? Its every SWAT wife/partner’s fear to be left alone to face the world without your husband/wife/partner. But that’s the thing, Jim is your partner, just like David is mine, and the only way I got through that fear was by talking with him about it. And you’d be surprised but I bet he is probably just as scared, because David was. This is something you both have to navigate together, and don’t let the fear make you pull away from him, but rather use this as something to help you strengthen your relationship. That’s the secret Chris, to being able to do this, the one everyone always asks me about. I can’t tell you what will happen with work after you guys make things official, but I know you guys will manage and come out stronger, because that’s just the way you two do things. And Chris… nobody is ever fully safe, remember that. David may be the one out risking his life, but I was the one who almost died twice two years ago, and I’m a stay at home mom. Fear doesn’t prepare you for anything, it just keeps you from living. Which is something I’m still trying to deal with, because that stroke scared the shit out of me. That day all I kept thinking was about my kids and David, and how I couldn’t leave them. The fear of me having no control over that situation and the very real possibility that it could happen again stayed with me ever since. Which made it even scarier when Victoria was born and I had to pick godparents, because I realized it might not be such a crazy thought that whoever I picked might actually end up raising her if David and I keep ending up in the hospital. And let me tell you I don’t regret picking you, because I know you’ll love her and care for her like I would, and you’ll never let her forget us. It takes a village to raise a child Chris, and you’re an integral part of our village. Our kids are better off because of our village being there, and I know your baby will be just as loved and cared for by the village you and Street are building. That’s what you need to remember, you’re not alone, your SWAT family will ALWAYS have your back”

Chris hugged Annie again, knowing she was right, and being totally speechless. Everything Annie has said made so much sense and she was glad she could talk to her friend again.

“thank you Annie, man I really missed talking to you. Thank you for making me Tori’s godmother, you don’t know how much that means to me. And thank you for always having my back, and being honest with me. And um, you’re right, I think I’m going to go talk to Street.” Chris said then quickly hugged Annie one last time to say goodbye and grabbed her gear to head out to find Street.


	15. The story is not over, just things have been a little crazy with Uni for me

HEY I am so sorry for the wait everyone !  
I've been so so busy with Uni (I only have 2 semesters left and its a science degree!) and things just keep getting crazier and crazier the further along you are in this program. Let's add of course that with the quarantine atm things haven't gotten easier. My uni switched to an online delivery method though, so I still have a lot of work to do and it is close the end of the semester so I hope you guys can be a bit patient with me and I'll try to put out some more chapters in the coming weeks. TBH I was a bit stuck, but i'm hoping that since I'm stuck at home for the foreseeable future I'll be able to finish the story before the end of April! so cross your fingers and pray that I get some down time & inspiration to push forward with this soon!

The one thing I will promise is that I will finish this story. No matter how long it takes! I hate hate hate leaving things unfinished and honestly something that seriously bothers me is reading a fanfic I really like and finding that the author didn't finish it. So I will never do that to you my wonderful readers!

sending you all love and health,

I will return ;)

with love 

xoxo

Laanrepa


	16. dinner?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS, omfg sorry it's been so long. I've been trying to find my voice in this story again. sorry if this chapter is shit, I tried to get back into the mindset I was in when I initially wrote this and it took a bit longer than I realized. Ive been reading a lot in other fandoms so it was kinda hard to get back into this one in a way that matched my earlier work. I hope you like it, I'll try to continue updating more consistently! sending lots of love & gratitude for your continued patience :)

It didn’t take her long to find Street, as it turns out he was in the motor pool leaning against her truck waiting for her. The way he lit up when he saw her made her heart go a million miles an hour, specially knowing that she was the one that incited that response. Fuck he was so hot… was he hotter than the last time she saw him? how is that even possible? it’d literally only been like 30 min. Honestly, at this rate this man was going to kill her before their daughter did, because her body can’t handle the response he ignites in her.

“hey” she said softly when she was finally in front of him.

“hi” Street said just as softly. It’s still incredible to him how just being in her presence can make everything feel lighter, better… if the others knew how whipped she had him he’d never hear the end of it. But right now none of that mattered because just being with her and gazing into her eyes, made the rest of the world disappear. He was in awe, because Chris somehow looked even better lately with the pregnancy glow, all thanks to their daughter, and Street knew his heart was full.

Chris knew they needed to talk but she also knew this wasn’t the place to do it. So she had come up with a plan.

“uhm...so I know it’s been a long day, but I was wondering if you wanted to get some dinner later? ….my treat, and I promise you won’t have to do all the talking” Chris said lightly hoping it would come off as she intended and that he would understand what she was trying to do.

“sure, I could eat. Should we take your truck? I don’t mind leaving my bike here, I can just ride in with Luca tomorrow.” Street said deciding to play it off cool. He knew it was hard for Chris to express herself like this and the last thing he wanted was to scare her off now that things were so much better.

“actually… I was thinking maybe we could both go home and shower, and change. I don’t know about you but I could really use a shower and a change of clothes right now. And then I can pick you up around 7:30pm… if you’re ok with that?”

Street did his best to contain his excitement, because this was sounding a lot more like a date, and he had never expected her to actually ask him out. He had learned a long time ago that to get anywhere with Chris sometimes he had to pry things out of her, especially when it came to them. She was starting to look nervous, and he realized that he hadn’t replied yet.

“yeah of course, that sounds great” he answered earnestly and did his best to tame his childish giddiness as he headed for his bike, stopping to turn and give her one last look only to find that she had never taken her eyes off of him.

\---

Chris had never felt as nervous as she did right now, driving to pick up Street after changing her outfit 5 times. She had finally settled on a sexy black tee dress, with an oversized maroon plaid blazer, a black belt over it, and paired together with her trusty comfortable oxfords. Chris had never considered herself particularly girly, or the kind who got all dressed up for things, hell she maybe only owned a couple of dresses max, but for some reason tonight she felt like she had to do everything in her power to show Street this was real, and she was ready to put everything into them. No more one foot out the door. Her conversation with Annie from earlier was still playing in her head. She wasn’t going to let fear stop her from making what could be the best decision she ever makes. Street is her everything.

Street had gone home and tried his best to do everything impossibly slow so that he wouldn’t have a lot of time to just sit around while he waited for her because he knew that he would psych himself out that way. He was thankful that Luca was not home because despite his best efforts, he had managed to be ready by 7pm, his nerves at an all-time high. To try to calm down he decided to play with Duke, trying to will time to go faster so he wouldn’t have a lot of time to overthink things. Thankfully just as his anxiety was starting to get the best of him, his phone dinged.

_7:20pm_

Chris: pulling up in 5, be ready ;) 

Street immediately got up to straighten himself out trying to make sure he looked put together, and checking that he had all he needed so that he could go sit out in the porch to wait for her.

As Chris pulled around the block, she couldn’t help but relax when she saw him in the distance sitting at the picnic table, his knees bouncing with excitement, or nerves. And she realized he was probably going through the same emotions he was. This was Street, her best friend, the love of her life. What was she so scared about? If there was anyone in this world who she could trust with everything, it was him.

When he saw her truck pull up in front of his house, all the nerves that had been running through him suddenly left, because this was Chris. The woman he fell in love with from the moment they first met. His family, the person he trusted most in this world, so there was no reason to be nervous. He was exactly where he was supposed to be.

Chris rolled down her window as she pulled up, “hey! you ready?” she called out to him as he stood up from the picnic table and made his way over to the truck. As he got closer she finally took a look at him… wow. Street didn’t usually dress up but here he was, in a tight maroon button down shirt and black skinny jeans, with his signature leather jacket in hand. He had unknowingly matched her outfit, but that wasn’t the first thing that came to mind, when he looked hotter than ever.

“Hi” street said once he was sitting in the passenger’s seat, but Chris was speechless, still trying to recover her breath from the sight of him in that outfit. It still amazed her how she had managed to spend the past 2 years working so closely with him without having jumped him earlier. Her past self was definitely stronger than she was now, she might blame it on the hormones later but man there was no way she wasn’t going home with him tonight.

Now that he had settled in, he finally looked up at her noticing she hadn’t replied when they locked eyes. The look she was giving him was doing things to him that were not appropriate for the start of a possible date, but he couldn’t look away. Her eyes showed a mixture of awe, desire and affection (an internal voice would say that it was love, but he wasn’t ready to jump to that yet… he didn’t think his heart could handle it if that wasn’t the case). He was about to ask her if everything was ok when suddenly her hand was on his shirt pulling him, as her lips crashed into his. It took him a second for the shock to pass before he started kissing her back, his hands grabbing on to her waist to bring her closer.

Chris knew it had only been a few days since she had last felt his lips against her, but it felt like it had been so much longer because every time they kissed it felt like nothing she had ever experienced before. Kissing him felt like breathing for the first time, as if she’d been underwater up until his lips were on hers. He was intoxicating, and all she wanted to do was pull him even closer but the car console was on their way.

Street was the first to pull away, though he did so reluctantly as their need for oxygen became overwhelming, demanding they pull apart. But he kept his hands around her waist and rested his forehead against hers.

“hi” he said breathlessly again, his eyes in awe, his love for her in full display on his irises.

Chris was still recovering as the rest of her senses came back into play, but seeing the way he was looking at her, she was overcome with the need to let him know how she felt. They had tiptoed around it for too long. it was now or --

“I love you” she blurted out as her mouth beat her to the conclusion her brain was about to make. This may not have been how she imagined telling him tonight. But it didn’t matter, it was out there and all she felt was relief.

Street was in shock, he had hoped for this moment for so long, but he still felt like his mind was playing games on him, not ready to believe that the three words that had just come out of her mouth were anything more than a figment of his imagination due to the oxygen deprivation they were both recovering from at the moment.

“… what did you just say?” Street said softly.

“I love you” she said simply as she broke out into a smile so big her face hurt.

Street released a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding only to grab her face again as he brought her in for another kiss, this one more intense than the last. Street put everything into this kiss and Chris responded with the same level of fervor. Chris ran her hands up and down his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair, each moving as close as possible within the space they had available. As they pulled away to breathe, Chris began kissing down Streets jaw softly saying “I love you” in between each kiss. Street was having a hard time concentrating as he felt his entire body was on fire and his mind had gone completely blank.

Suddenly their moment was broken when a car honked.

“get a room pigs!” Marcos, Street and Lucas’ neighbour shouted as he drove by with a knowing smirk.

Chris suddenly started laughing as she hid her face in Streets shoulder, burying her nose in his neck. The vibrations of her laugh pushing him to laugh as well as they took in their surroundings. As their laughter died down, Street wondered if he should suggest that they take things inside, but he didn’t want her to think he was assuming anything so he waited for her to speak first.

Suddenly Chris was laying soft kisses up his neck, making his breath catch in his throat as she continued travelling up. When she reached his ear she sultry whispered “…want to take this to your room before it stops being pg?” sending a shiver up his spine. Street was speechless, the only response he could manage was a small nod as he got out of the car and went around to her door to open it for her. Before she could say anything else, he picked her up bridal style and closed the car door with his foot as he headed into the house towards his room. Chris had never been someone who giggled but being picked up like that had brought it out of her as she couldn’t contain her joy knowing she was about to get exactly what she wanted. They would finish their talk later, right now they both had said everything the other needed to know.

As Street moved to gently put her down in the middle of his bed, he looked into her eyes and said “fuck, I’m so in love with you” and proceeded to kiss her in a way that made her forget the rest of the world. 


	17. Duke's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so much fluff - just some self indulgent love and fluff between these two idiots who are finally figuring things out. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO its been really hard to get through this specially with whats been happening in the US. S.W.A.T. is a great show, but it is a show about cops, so I definitely feel the need to address the situation on here as I write about it. I hope all my readers are feeling as saddened and outraged as I have been to see all of the police brutality cases around the world that continue to happen and are being fuelled by systemic racism and lack of accountability in these corrupt institutions. As someone who loves cop shows, I feel like it's my responsibility to also acknowledge how Hollywood does paint these institutions and actions in rose coloured tones, undercutting a very real issue that we have in our society. The truth is unfortunately the cops we see in these shows we love are a romanticized version of what is actually out there. its important to know the difference and be able to separate the two so we can see the truth in our real life and not let these shows skew our ability to understand these issues. I will say something I appreciate about the show S.W.A.T. is that it has been trying to address these real life situations from their very first episode. That being said I want to let you know that we have the power to change things. This isn't something that will be fixed overnight, so don't forget to continue doing your part and educating yourself. So let's educate ourselves further and try to make a difference. here I'm attaching a link for how you can help. 
> 
> https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

This time things were so different. Sure you could say that not being inebriated had something to do with it, but that wasn’t the case at all. If you were to ask Chris, this time they were a different kind of drunk. It was intoxicating to be like this with each other, having said the one thing they’d kept from themselves and from each other for so long. Somehow this time around was even better than what little she remembered from that night. This wasn’t just sex, this was love making, and Chris was now realizing she had never really experienced anything like it. Now this, this definitely was the best sex of her entire life, and from the smile Street currently had as he pulled her into him, she knew he’d agree. As if he had read what she was thinking, Street suddenly looked at her, his eyes swimming with love and extasy as he said “ wow “

She was still a little too out of breath to muster up a proper response, but she couldn’t hold back the smile that came on to her face as she moved herself to be even closer to him burying her nose in his neck. Finally regaining enough strength to whisper “I love you” and drop a soft kiss into his neck. Street leaned forward and placed a soft kiss to her hairline as he whispered “I love you too”.

They lounged on his bed for a while, softly caressing each other, neither wanting to leave this moment. Street suddenly focused on her abdomen, running his fingers lightly against her tiny bump and smiling as she looked up at him in adoration. “hi” she whispered as she caught his eyes full of wonder, and she felt his unspoken question “we’re fine, more than fine actually” she told him, and gave him the biggest possible grin to reassure him further. Street then surprised her by sliding down to rest his cheek against bare abdomen, then dropping a small kiss and saying “hey baby” in a voice so soft she would’ve missed it if she wasn’t completely entranced by his movements. Chris then absentmindedly moved her hand to caress his hair.

They stayed like that for a few minutes until her stomach growled, which made him chuckle as he looked up at her and asked “we should’ve probably gone to dinner first, huh?”

“I have no regrets about this change of schedule … our daughter however might not agree. I think she’s getting a little hangry” Chris said tentatively as he got up and pulled her up so they could get dressed and head out on what was supposed to be their first date … nobody ever said they were known for doing things in the right order, not that they cared.

Despite having no self-control at the moment and being slightly hangry, Chris still made it clear that she would be driving. She still wanted to follow the plan she had made for tonight and didn’t want to ruin the surprise for Street by telling him anything about where they were going beforehand. However that also meant her poker face was on and inadvertently she was also quieter than usual as she put her full concentration on driving them there.

Street was doing his best to not overthink the situation or analyze why all of a sudden Chris was being so serious and secretive. Was she having second thoughts now that their break from reality was over? Did she regret being with him? was this a goodbye, pity fuck she had given him before bringing down the hammer on whatever possibilities of them he was beginning to dream up? He doubted that knowing that this had time was so different from the first night they spent together, this time they had made love. But he couldn’t help being anxious, specially knowing how much was at stake here for Chris – with her career, with her position in 20 squad, with her future as a mother who is a cop. Chris had always been adamantly against being romantically involved with a cop, specially one she worked with since the moment they’d met, so he doubted these extra circumstances were going to make her any more keen to try something like date him. He knew that her impending motherhood was already going to jeopardize her reputation and credibility as the badass, incredibly capable officer within the highly misogynistic institutions LAPD and SWAT were, especially since she was a Latino, queer, unmarried, pregnant (single?) woman who technically didn’t even know who the father of her child was. Street knew he would never face the scrutiny she was about to undergo, not even close. Despite both of them being involved in this situation and the fact that he was a complete screw up who had barely gotten back on SWAT and had already gotten a second chance, he knew that he had a higher chance of getting a third shot at keeping this job than Chris had at getting a second one. If the past 2 years of knowing Chris had taught him anything, it was to check his privilege. She had never let him forget how different the consequences were for them when they did something stupid. Plain and simple = he could, she couldn’t. He knew how much harder she had to work in order to be taken seriously, and to even be seen as a valuable member of SWAT. Even though she was the best of the best, people still judged her harder solely on their prejudiced views on what they thought a cop, specially a SWAT officer should look and be like. Although SWAT officers did have to adhere to higher standards and rules, he knew the standards Chris was expected to exceed were even higher. Remembering all of this sobered him up. He loved Chris with all his heart. She was the love of his life. But he would let her go if that’s what she needed him to do, he would never make things harder for her or put her in a position where she had to choose between the job she loved and her love for him. She had always put him first, and risked her career more than once to help him get his back, it was his turn to do the same for her.

Suddenly he felt her hand slip into his and give it a gentle squeeze snapping him out of his internal musings. He had almost forgotten he was in the car with her heading somewhere, as he finally took in their surroundings and noticed they were now parked by Huntington beach.

“we’re here” she said softly with a shy smile now gracing her face.

Despite it being late fall, the sun was just beginning to set in the horizon as Chris and Street stepped out of the car, Chris immediately grabbing his hand again once he was by her side so she could guide him to where they were going. 

Chris had decided on taking them to Duke’s, a long established surfer bar that sat right on the beach overlooking the pier. It may not be the nicest or most romantic restaurant available in the area, but it held sentimental value for her and also with the impending changes parenthood brought to their lives, they were definitely on a budget now.

Chris doesn’t have many good memories with her mother, most having been overshadowed by her alcoholism, but she remembers eating at a Duke’s restaurant for almost every single birthday she celebrated with her mom while she was still alive. This had become their place and it was a tradition she continued to this day because it gave her the opportunity to share that one day with the version of her mom she loved the most and wanted to remember.

Unknown to Chris, Duke’s also held sentimental value for Street, in particular this Duke’s on Huntington Beach. The first time Buck took him out to spend the day with him after his mother’s arrest, he had brought him right and treated him to lunch. They then spent the rest of the afternoon in Huntington Beach as Buck tried to teach him how to surf. Later that evening they sat in the pier and talked for a few hours, and that night was the first time Street had been able to share what he had been going through and finally let his new reality hit him. Buck spent that evening listening to him, showing him he wasn’t alone, and reminding him that he would always be there for Street no matter what. That night was the first night Street knew things would be ok, despite all he had lost and how much his life had taken a turn for the worst (in his young mind at least). They hadn’t gone back together, but Street now found that Huntington beach was the only place where he could really let his feelings out.

Suddenly a hostess appeared in front of them asking them if they had a reservation. This snapped both of them out of their own respective memories regarding Duke’s and back to the present with each other. Chris was the first to address the waitress having regained her voice quicker than Street had.

“yes! Table for two for Christina ” Chris answered the blonde whose name seemed to be Shana if her name plate was correct.

They were sat in solitary corner of the terrace overlooking the beach and pier and Street couldn’t help the nervous smirk that graced his face when he saw Chris whisper thanks to the hostess who winked. It seems like this wasn’t seating arrangement a random decision. The fact that Chris had really planned all this made him both giddy and nervous. Street made sure to go around and pull out Chris’ chair for her, because if he’d had any doubt before about this being a date, it was definitely no longer there.

Chris couldn’t help her swoon as she saw how charming Street was being. She missed having her hand in his, as they had let go to sit down, so she made sure to grab it again once they were both settled.

“hi” Street whispered softly as he interlaced their fingers.

“hey” Chris whispered back her eyes sparkling in the light from the candle on their table.

“did you plan all of this?” Street blurted out curiously, with a bit of disbelief that she had really gone out of her way to plan all of this for them.

“yeah… I know this may not be the nicest restaurant, but it was important to me that I brought you here because it means a lot to me… and well you mean a lot to me, and tonight I want to share with you just how much.” Chris told him as her gaze held his tightly – she would not let her fears stop her or ruin this, not tonight.

To say he was speechless was an understatement, especially as he held her gaze, feeling for the first time like he could fully read her because she had removed her shield. Before Street could say anything however their server showed up to introduce herself and get their drink order. Street couldn’t help but be amused at Chris’ drink choice – a Shirley temple since alcohol was definitely out of the question for the next few months at least. He however decided to get one as well, in solidarity when he saw the murderous glare she sent his way as he tried to repress his chuckles. Once the waitress had left, Chris softly kicked him in the chins which just made him start laughing, no longer able to restrain himself. “hey, stop laughing – this is all partly your fault” she said as she pouted a bit, but he could tell she was also about to break. He gave her a mischievous look which sent her into a fit of giggles as well. Once they were able to calm down again and regain their breath Chris started pouting again as she said “I don’t know how I’m going to get through all of this without tequila”

“do you mean tonight? Or the next six months?” he asked her in a shy but light tone, not wanting to ruin the moment. Chris caught his eye again and her gaze softened as she said “I have no problems getting through tonight… tequila is for pain, and all I’ve experienced so far is pleasure” Chris eyes got glassed as she mentioned their earlier activities, but that quickly passed as she continued more seriously “however, I can’t say I expect the next six months to be easier… I’m definitely not ready to even think about what bringing our daughter out into the world is going to be like. And you know I barely survived the past 3 months of morning sickness” Chris said somberly as she looked down.

“hey” Street said as he lifter her face back up with his free hand, leaving it to rest under her chin. “I know that you’re so used to having to shield your vulnerabilities from our team because you don’t want us to see you as weak, but I love you Chris, and I want you to know that you can always share all of that with me because I’m never going to see you as anything less than the badass, incredible officer you are. You are the strongest woman I’ve ever met, you can easily give everyone on 20 squad and SWAT HQ a run for their money with your strength, skills, and determination. I have no doubt in my mind that you will be able to accomplish this just like everything else in your life : in the most badass way possible. And I’m so honoured I get a front row seat to seeing you excel at making our daughter in your body while still being the best SWAT officer in the LAPD. And I will be here every step of the way doing everything in my power that will make this easier for you”

Chris was overcome with emotions and felt her eyes well up with tears. Damn this hormones, but for once she didn’t care if she cried in front of Street. He loved her and she loved him, and she knew she could trust him with her truth, so she was ready to let all of her walls down with him. letting her tears flow she looked up into his eyes lovingly and said “I love your faith in me” but wasn’t able to say anything else as their waitress came back with their drinks, ready to take their food order. Both of them had really worked up an appetite so their conversation during the rest of their dinner was kept light with a lot of loving looks as the sky got darker.


	18. lets give us a real shot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so the fluff continues. honestly so much love in this it makes me want to cry. they're too cute. They definitely took over in this one, idk where it all came from, but its cute af and i hope it makes up for my months of being AWOL

After dinner they fight over the bill, with Chris of course not giving up until Street let her pay, reminding him it was her treat. As they’re leaving Duke’s hand in hand, Chris can’t help herself as she draws him closer leaning her head on his shoulder as they walk towards the pier. They walk in a comfortable silence, but both are still anxious to continue their discussion regarding their relationship. Street breaks the silence first, which Chris is thankful for, as she doesn’t know where to begin.

“did I ever tell you about the time Buck brought me here?” street began as he looked out into the sea, not feeling strong enough to look into her eyes as he shared this “it was right after I entered foster care and my mom had just gotten arrested”

“no, you’ve never mentioned that” Chris replied softly as she looked up to gauge his mood. She knew it was hard for him to talk about that time in his life.

“yeah, that was the first afternoon Buck and I spent together after we met. He brought me out here to teach me how to surf, and we actually had lunch at Duke’s” he says in a pensive tone. Chris decides to not say anything as it seems like he has more to share.

“that was the first time I felt like things might just be alright. Even if nothing made sense anymore and I had no idea if I would even have a future. That was the first night I opened up to him about everything. He was the first and only adult I really trusted since that day… you know he’s been more of a father figure to me than my own dad was. He helped me become the man I am today, and we both know that if it wasn’t for him, I would’ve probably never met you”

Street finished softly as he stopped to turn and look at her. They were now standing halfway up the pier by a bench that was close to the railing. His soft gaze was enough to make her forget everything else, because it was only the two of them in that moment that really mattered.

“I guess I should send him a thank you card then, because there’s no future I can imagine without you in my life.” Chris replied as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in to place a soft kiss to his lips. Before they could get carried away again however, she ran her hands down his shoulders and grabbed his hands to pull him with her as she went to sit down on the bench.

“so you know I suck at this – talking about my feelings thing but if we don’t talk about all of this then we can’t move forward and that’s not healthy for either of us. And we’re becoming parents, so we can’t keep avoiding things anymore. So please just let me just get this all out before I mess it all up again” Chris rambles and Street can’t help the smirk that’s gracing his features at seeing her get all flustered. She gives him a look that says ‘ _stop looking at me like that or we’re never gonna get through this cause you know what that look does to me’_ which only makes his smirk grow, but he gives her hand a squeeze to encourage her to go on.

“so I guess I should start by letting you know that my relationship with Ty & Kira is over. I’ve been wanting to tell you ever since that day at Hondo’s house when Kira called. But then we got called away to help Deac and it was all so crazy I didn’t feel like it’d be fair for me to just blurt that out randomly in the middle of that crisis… I told her it was over and that it wouldn’t be fair to continue this between us because she would never love me like she loved Ty… and that I would never love them like I love you.” Chris rambled on not ready to look up at street again until she got all of this out because she wasn’t ready to see his reaction.

“…you know, it’s always been you, Jim. I don’t know why it took me so long to figure it out. And I mean it’s not like you made it easy” she says jokingly hoping to lighten her confession up a little bit as she moves forward “but it really shouldn’t have been that hard. You are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. You’re my best friend… you’re the love of my life – and that’s scary because I’ve never had with anyone else what I’ve had with you. The fact is that I can’t imagine my life without you, the mere thought of a world where you’re not a part of my life is so painful I can’t even phantom it. And it wasn’t until I admitted it to myself that I realized just how truly gone I was for you that it hit me how dangerous what we do is. I think that’s been the scariest realization I’ve had in the past week. Because I love our job, but you and this baby – you guys are my life and the idea that I could lose you or her at any moment because of what we do is scary as fuck. Seeing what Annie and Deac had to go through this week really shook me to my core. And it almost made me want to run from us instead of towards us. But we are finally here. it’s finally the right time and place and I cannot give us up just because I’m scared. You mean too much… _we_ mean to much… for me to give it all up now. Because I really want this… US… I want to give it a shot, I’m ready to give us a real shot. Because we deserve that. you deserve that. she deserves that” Chris finished exhausted as she finally realized all the tears that were flowing down her face and how her free hand had moved to caress her belly.

Before she could do or say anything else Street pulled her into a bone crushing hug and the dam broke for both of them. They were finally allowing themselves to be broken, to feel everything and not just parts of it. Because they’d been denying themselves that for way too long. They had gone through so much just to get here, and it was all finally hitting them. Everything they’d compartmentalized or hid from themselves and from each other. The way they had been living half a life for the past two years, never fully allowing themselves to accept their feelings or what they meant was finally over. They had finally found their way back to each other and they were not sure they would ever be ready to let the other one go. Because this felt like forever, even if neither had ever been the type of believe in that sort of thing.

They don’t know how long they spent holding each other like that and crying, but after Street finally regained his voice he whispered hoarsely in her ear “ you don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for you to say that” which makes her giggle into his chest.

Street then continues “I can’t imagine my life without you either. You’re my best friend and the love of my life too Chris. And look I don’t know how I got lucky enough to finally be given the chance to show you that this is real, but I’m not going anywhere as long as I have a say in it. I’m also scared, because you’re also the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me and you know I tend to always screw things up. But that’s the last thing I want. I want to give us a real shot. I’m in, hundred percent committed to this. And I get being scared about what this job could do to us. You know I was always the go-to undercover guy in long beach because I loved the adrenaline and I was always ready to jump into the dicey situations. But I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do anything like that again. You know that night when we were undercover as Nick & Marie I was shaking when that OG pulled his gun on you. I have never been that scared in my life before, and it took me a bit to realize that it was because I have so much to lose now. And we weren’t even talking that much back then but the mere idea that I could’ve lost you that night, it still shakes me to my core. I didn’t even know you were pregnant then, so yeah now when we go on call of course it freaks me out when I see a suspect get too physical with you. But I also know that you are incredibly well trained and capable, and the last thing I want to do is undermine you in front of our team, so I keep myself in check and have faith that everything will be ok. We can’t let this fear stop us from doing our job Chris – one- because one we’re too good and have worked too hard to give it all up now, and - two – because you know the entire team will kick our asses if we get this soft now. I love you and I don’t want to lose you or our baby but I’m not going to put you in a bubble either. We’re going to figure this out, and thankfully we have so many people around us who get what this is like. If Deac can do this, so can we, right? I believe in us, and I believe in you. So what else do we need?” Street finally looked into her eyes as he asked that last part trying to gauge her reaction.

“God, I love you” Chris said as she crashed her lips with his in a needy, passionate kiss. Somehow he always knew exactly what to say to calm her down. They spent the next few minutes making out but their kisses grew softer instead of more passionate. these were loving kisses that tried to showcase how much they loved one another.

Suddenly Chris pulled away and bit her lip as she realized there still had a couple of things to discuss.

“ … so about us…I love this, and you and our growing family – but I also love being on 20 squad with you and I’m not ready to give that up yet. So I was thinking, do you think it would be ok if we didn’t tell the rest of the squad just yet about this change in our relationship? I don’t mean that we need to sneak around or anything – I’m just thinking we keep the full story to ourselves and keep the PDA to a minimum around them, if that’s ok?” Chris rambles out

“I mean I don’t know …. Do you really think you can resist me for that long? last time I was shirtless in the change room with you, you were pretty much ready to jump me and probably would’ve if Deac and Tan hadn’t interrupted us” Street teased her

“ok first of all, I was not the one who was walking around in a tiny towel demanding your attention, so who is the liability there? Plus I cannot be blamed for what my pregnancy hormones push me to do – so really that is all on you” she said stubbornly as he leaned in to give her a teasingly slow and languid kiss.

“I mean you know I’ve never been good at following the rules, and you know that’s one of the reasons you love me. It’s my bad boy persona that draws you in” he whispers against her lips as she lets out a small whimper.

“your bad boy persona? More like damsel in distress persona – because I’m always rescuing you from yourself” she laughs as she finally regains a bit of her composure while pulling away teasing him back.

“haha ok that’s a fair point. But seriously yeah, I’m ok with that. I know things are going to get complicated once we tell Hicks about your pregnancy and all of that, so I don’t see why we can’t keep us in this bubble for a little while longer” Street said smiling.

“right … Hicks – shit, about that …I think I’m gonna have to tell him and Lynch pretty much next shift. Because our little girl is not going to keep hiding much longer and well the last thing we want is for the brass to find out on their own instead of me being straight up with them about it from the start. What do you think?” Chris asked him.

“I think that’s a good idea. We definitely want them on our side and not the brass’ when everything else gets figured out regarding maternity leave and your modified duty assignment. And we definitely need them to at least not hate us when we come clean about us.” Street replied earnestly. Chris couldn’t help her smile as she heard him ramble on about this, he definitely had been thinking about this too and it made her love him even more. Knowing this might ruin their mood but needing to say it anyways, Chris finally decided to mention the last thing they also needed to consider – Ty & Kira’s possible relationship with their baby.

“Talking about awkward discussions that need to happen – we also need to sit down with Ty & Kira when they come back from their honeymoon to talk about the baby… specially what the plan is if she’s his…” Chris said softly in an apprehensive tone.

Street however didn’t let this ruin their mood because he knew I was something that they would have to discuss sooner than later. Nonetheless he decided to take a light approach to his answer, knowing how stressed Chris was about this and wanting her to know he wasn’t mad about it.

“ right… well I guess we definitely need to prep for that one. Maybe wear some protective gear… neither of them are trained fighters, right?” Street jokingly said. Chris rolled her eyes and bit back a smile as he pulled her closer and she buried her face on his chest.

“haha …funny” she grumbled lightly into his chest. But he knew she wasn’t mad. “you should definitely consider wearing a cup though, just in case we want to have more children. I wouldn’t put it past Kira to at least attempt a kick there.” Chris said as she grinned up at him with a teasing look in her eyes.

He rolled his eyes as he leaned down and kissed her temple while whispering “I love you… and all our future babies” he said amused, and ran a hand through her abdomen feeling her barely there bump once again. It felt so disgustingly domestic and perfect that Chris wanted to cry – of course, the one reaction she seemed to have for anything nowadays thanks to these goddamn pregnancy hormones. But she didn’t because being this close to him meant that she was too distracted by his natural scent to think about anything other than the fact that she fit perfectly into his arms.


	19. time to tell Hick's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is lowkey a filler chapter - I couldn't help myself - hope this constant updating makes up for my long ass hiatus ;) enjoy!

They ended up staying out pretty late that night, moving to lay on the beach and take in the star lit sky. Chris had never felt more at peace, and it was so weird to think she had sat in the same spot over three months ago making the opposite decision than what she did this night. The both decided they didn’t want to spend the night apart, so they headed to Street’s old apartment which was currently unoccupied but still under his name (he had it listed on Airbnb for short term stays, not ready to part with it just yet). Chris had never been the wear your boyfriend’s clothes type of girl, but somehow that also had changed with Street, as she went to sleep wearing his shirt feeling comforted being surrounded in his scent. Of course the fact that he also held her close the entire night was the icing on the cake, and she doesn’t know how they managed to get up for work when neither was willing to give the other up the next morning.

Not wanting to arouse suspicions, Chris reluctantly left earlier so she could drive herself to Hondo’s for a change of clothes and her work bag. Street texted Luca to bring his and headed straight in. They had decided they would talk to Hicks at the end of their shift after they talked to Hondo and the rest of the team. Knowing he would find out one way or another they had decided to tell Hicks about the pregnancy and the chance of Street being the father. 

Despite Chris’ overwhelming fear of how this talk could go, Hicks took the news surprisingly well, and held back any of his usual judgement which was a relief to both. However he did inform them that he would be keeping a close eye on them as things moved forward, especially since they would be working closely in the field and their relationship status was now considered ‘complicated’ (his terms). Hicks also said that Chris would need to submit to more regular physical check-ups to ensure things were still safe for her and the baby while she was still in the field. He asked for the first one to be administered within the week, given the fact that Chris had been out in the field and hadn’t been checked out by a doctor in more than a month. Chris called up the doctor who had seen her at the hospital and booked an appointment for that Friday and Street promised to accompany her, knowing he didn’t want to miss out on anything moving forward.

With things moving forward on her career end, Chris knew she had to start working on her personal end as well. That night Chris headed back to Hondo’s and Street went back to his & Luca’s house – both knowing there were still some things they had to figure out before they could spend their nights together on a more regular basis. Chris took this opportunity to ask for Hondo’s help in moving out of Ty & Kira’s place. She knew she could’ve asked Street, but thought that it would just complicate things further with Ty & Kira if they were to find out she had brought Street into their house while they were not home. It only took a couple hours to clear her things out and bringing them back to Hondo’s. Chris made sure to leave her key in the mailbox once they locked everything back up. Finally closing that chapter in her romantic life. The one thing Chris still needed to do however was share her news with her family. Chris knew her uncle Sarzo loved Street, but they’d had a very hard time accepting Chris’ relationship with Ty & Kira. Not to mention that they were still very traditional, so she wasn’t sure if telling them she had cheated, and was now pregnant without a clear knowledge of who the baby’s father was, nor a marriage proposal on its way was going to be something they could accept. And the last thing she needed was their rejection right now – but after talking it over with Street she knew that it was better if they knew sooner rather than later, so they had agreed to tell them once they had talked things over with Ty & Kira, and they had gone to their first check-up – nothing like an ultrasound picture to make the news easier– right?

Before they knew it, Friday came around and Chris & Street were driving to the hospital on their way to their first check-up. This time Street was the designated driver as Chris couldn’t contain her nerves and excitement about possibly seeing their baby for the first time. Street was also a ball of nerves, although he was definitely a lot better at hiding them, choosing to focus most of his energy on keeping Chris as calm as possible. Ever since their night at Huntington Beach, Chris and Street hadn’t had a lot of alone time, nor had they been able to be coupley as they were trying to keep their relationship lowkey at work, so having the freedom to just be them at the hospital was a welcome reprieve. Street had gone around to open her door, and despite Chris’ eye roll, he knew she secretly loved when he acted like this with her.

“ how you feeling mama bear?” Street said teasingly as Chris had a vice like grip on his hand while they walked towards the maternity ward.

“like I might become a single mom if you call me a mama bear ever again… because you’ll be dead” Chris said back to gritted teeth as Street let out a small chuckle

“alright, noted. So if mama bear is not your type of pet name, what about _mamacita_?”

Chris wanted to say she hated it, but for some reason every time Street spoke any Spanish her insides melted and she had an urge to jump him. But still she didn’t need his ego getting any bigger than it already was, so she didn’t want to give him that knowledge just yet. So she decided to tease him back a little in Spanish.

“de verdad ? _mamacita_? Where did you even hear that _mi amor_?” Chris however lost the upper hand once she realized in her attempt to make him feel bad for how little Spanish he still knew, she had inadvertently given him a pet name herself.

“hmm _mi amor_? … and here I thought I was the romantic one in this relationship” Street said back with the shit eating grin that had appeared on his face once he’d heard her say that.

Not wanting to show how much cuter that sounded coming from him Chris pulled him closer and buried her face into his arm, while he gave her hand a small squeeze. Moving his face to place a soft kiss to her hair as he softly said “ _te amo Christina_ ” which made her face turn an embarrassing shade of red she prayed he couldn’t see. However Chris didn’t get a chance to reply as they reached the main desk where they had to check in.

Before either of them could say anything however a very pretty nurse made her way over to them and said “Chris?”


	20. ultrasound time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all have been so kind and patient - as im finally in my last year of uni - things could not be busier - despite everything being online - and to top it off my laptop has been acting up - but SEASON 4 IS COMING :D and I really want to finish this before the end of the year - once again here I am setting expectations - lets hope i don't disappoint myself or you guys as we try to finish this! i think we're going for at least 5 more chapters - we shall see! I hope you enjoy this one<3 its pretty fucking cute if i do say so myself ;)

At the mention of her name Chris turned to look at the person who had called her. It was Suzie! The nurse who had treated her when Chris found out she was pregnant.

“Suzie!” Chris exclaimed going over to her to give her a hug. Suddenly remembering Street had no idea who this was, Chris began the introductions.

“Jim this is Suzie, the nurse who treated me the day I found out I was pregnant, Suzie this is Jim…my boyfriend” Chris explained as she felt her face warm up slightly at calling Jim her boyfriend. This was the first time she had ever said it out loud.

Street felt a breath leave he didn’t even know he was holding. He knew Chris was still trying to keep the pregnancy pretty under wraps so the idea that they might have bumped into someone she knew here in the maternity ward, definitely made him uneasy – especially given all the unorthodox things that were happening with this particular pregnancy. Once that tension left his body his brain caught up to the fact that Chris had just called him her boyfriend out loud for the first time. It would be a lie if he said it didn't felt surreal to finally be like this with her. He reached out to intertwine their hands again and turned to Suzie to shake her hand with his free one.

“hey, nice to meet you”

“likewise! I just gotta say you guys make an adorable and incredibly good looking couple – your baby is going to be one good looking kid” Suzie joked.

Before either of them could form a reply however Suzie got called away to deal with another patient. After they had checked in and sat down in the waiting room Street decided to bring up her little admission from earlier.

“so… _boyfriend_ huh” he said teasingly.

“I mean I was going to say _pain in the ass_ , but I’ve found that is not as socially accepted” Chris said with a glare back, but didn’t manage to keep it for long as she just couldn’t accept how much she enjoyed this weird gushy thing they had going on today.

“yeah, I doubt that … since when do you care about the socially-“ but Street didn’t get much else out as Chris’ lips crashed against his. It’s not like what he had to say was important so he deepened the kiss slightly not wanting to give up this impromptu PDA too quickly – after all it’s not like they had many opportunities to act like this. This time Street was the responsible one who ended the kiss before it became NSFW – since they were definitely not in the right place to start ripping each other’s clothes off.

Chris whimpered at the loss of his lips on hers when she heard him whisper “did you just kiss me to shut me up?” that definitely brought their surroundings back into perspective

“yup” Chris smiled as she opened her eyes to see his not too far away.

“Christina Alonso” – a nurse who appeared at the entrance of the waiting room called ending the moment they were having.

Chris and Jim quickly got up and followed him to the exam room. Once the nurse was gone, a new tension formed – this time however it was from the nervous energy they were both releasing as they prepared themselves to finally see their child for the very first time.

The nurse instructed Chris on how to get ready for the exam and left to get the doctor. Meanwhile Jim couldn’t help but look around at the posters on the wall that detailed the course of a pregnancy – explaining all the different stages and what the size of the baby would be at that point. 

Before either of them could freak out any further, a female doctor entered the room bringing both of their derailing thoughts to an end as they focused their attention on her.

“hi, I’m Dr. Seyer, I’m currently covering Dr. Hampton’s patients while he’s away at a conference. I promise you I will do my best to make sure everything goes smoothly today and I’ll try to answer all of your questions. I know how important having your chosen OBGYN present is when you’re going through all of this, but Dr. Hampton and I have been working closely for a long time and I can assure you everything that we talk about this morning will be shared and discussed with him and we won’t move forward with anything you’re not comfortable with.”

Chris honestly felt pretty at ease with this new Dr. and based on the previous interaction she’d had with Dr. Hampton, she wasn’t completely married to the idea of him being her OBGYN so this could actually be a welcome change. She realized the Dr was probably expecting her to say something – and maybe an introduction to Street. Chris sat up to shake her hand as she spoke up for the first time

“hi, it’s nice to meet you Dr. Seyer. I’m Christina, but you can call me Chris, and this is my boyfriend Jim” Chris said as she nodded towards Street who was standing by the wall unsure of what to do with his hands deep in his pockets.

A not so subtle glare from Chris and the Dr.’s outstretched hand finally snapped Street out of his awkwardness as he reached out and shook her hand back.

Dr. Seyer moved towards the ultrasound machine that was by the bed and began looking through the chart she’d brought in with her as she asked them some questions.

“So it’s my understanding that this is your first ultrasound and your first child?” Dr. Seyer said as she looked up to the couple who were staring sweetly at each other.

Street had pulled up a chair to sit by Chris on the bed, on the other side of where the machine and Dr. Seyer stood, when he sat down Chris immediately grabbed his hands as she looked at him with mixture of feelings flashing through her eyes. He held her gaze as a similar mixture of feelings flashed in his eyes when they finally registered the other person in the room was talking to them. It took Chris a few seconds to register the Dr.’s question.

Looking up at the Dr. and breaking eye contact with Street, Chris replied “um yes, this is our first child. I have had an ultrasound before, but not for anything pregnancy related.”

“oh I see, what kind of ultrasound did you have before?”

“Oh, It was an abdominal ultrasound to check for internal bleeding after a particularly bad altercation I had at work”

It took Chris a second to register the apprehension in the Dr.’s face when she realized she probably didn’t know Chris was a S.W.A.T. officer.

“oh I guess I should mention we’re S.W.A.T. police officers. Which is also part of the reason I’m here today, because our boss demanded I get more regular check-ups since I’m still in the field pretty often and it’s been over a month since my last check-up”

The expression in Dr. Seyer’s face completely changed to one of recognition and awe as she suddenly went on a tangent.

“oh wow, you’re THE Chris Alonso – first S.W.A.T. female officer in the LAPD – it’s an honour to meet you – I have 2 daughters and my husband is a first responder as well – so we’ve made a habit of always finding and showing them badass, ground-breaking, trailblazer women who have changed the norm, particularly in male dominated careers. We never want them to think they can’t change the system just like we work so hard to do every single day”

Chris had not expected to hear anything like that at all but suddenly she felt tears streaming down her face as she pulled the Dr into an embrace. Well finally her hormones had done it – she was not only embarrassing herself with her friends and family, she was now embarrassing herself with complete strangers. She pulled away shyly as she realized what she had done but her worries fell away when she saw the kind and happy expression her doctor held.

“thank you, wow, I’m sure the hormones have a lot to do with it, but it really means a lot to hear that Dr. Seyer. It’s definitely not been easy, and this pregnancy hasn’t made things simpler given that I am still the example in a lot of ways – there’s no one that’s gone through a pregnancy as a S.W.A.T. officer before either so it’s been very stressful.” Chris said as Street squeezed her hand.

“That is a lot of pressure, and I can understand that, but remember – if you’re going to stay in the field where you will be facing a lot more risk than a regular pregnancy you need to try to find a way to manage your emotional and spiritual state, otherwise it could all increase the risk to your baby. I don’t want to have to put any restrictions on you, and I won’t unless I need to because at the end of the day my job is to make sure both of you stay healthy and safe throughout this whole pregnancy.” Dr. Seyer let Chris know in a motherly but stern tone.

“Thank you, I understand – and I have been trying to stay healthy and changing up my work out routines as well as my diet. And I’ve also tried to sort out all the drama that has been happening so I can calm down and have less stress, but I can’t tell you this won’t be a complicated pregnancy because there’s too many things at play.” Chris said. Street had gotten up to pull her into a hug as she turned to look at him, both knowing what she was talking about but neither feeling like it was the right time to confide in this Dr they had just befriended.

After giving them a few minutes to take each other in while she worked on filling in her chart, Dr Seyer spoke up again “well, I can already tell that dad is going to be a big help with getting things sorted, and the support you’re already giving each other is definitely going to make everything better for the baby – which is what we’re here to look at! So let me get this set up, and once you’re both ready we can finally take a look at your little bundle of joy”

Right, this was it – they were finally going to meet their little lemon, but for some reason they didn’t feel that scared anymore – it was them against the world, and they were all they needed anyways. So after giving each other one final loving look, Street look up at Dr Seyer, and said “we’re ready” while moving to sit down without ever letting go of Chris hand.

Dr Seyer having finished setting everything up moved to start – getting the gel and ultrasound wand out.

“sorry if the gel is a little cold – we can never warm it up enough for it to feel comfortable” – Dr. Seyer mentioned as she put a bit on Chris’ growing bump and put the wand right on it. She started moving it around while looking at the machine, as both Chris and Street’s attention moved to the screen to see if they could make anything out. What felt like hours of anticipation was only a couple of minutes as suddenly the Dr stopped and focused on a specific area while she clicked a couple of things on the computer, then with a smile she turned and said “here they are” as she turned the screen so they could get a better view.

Before either could release the metaphorical breath they’d been holding while they tried to make sense of the image, both Chris and Street simultaneously said “ ** _she_** ” making Dr Seyer look at them curiously “pardon?” she answered, not sure if she understood what they’d both whispered.

Street was the first to manage a reply as he still couldn’t process what he was seeing so he chose to focus on the words instead “ ** _She_** … our daughter. Chris has had a feeling since the moment she found out she was pregnant that it was a girl, and honestly it’s the only way I’ve been able to pictured her as well.”

“ah. Well I can’t confirm or deny if your hunch is correct as it’s still too early, but I can tell you _she_ is looking good. I see no cause for concerns so far –I’d say you’re about the end of 14 weeks based on her size, and development seems to be happening correctly - ”

Dr. Seyer was cut off by Chris releasing a sob that surprised her and Street – both turning to look at Chris as she broke down in frustration.

“is everything ok?” Jim asked as he turned to look at her while he squeezed her hand that he’d been holding.

“I can’t see her… how am I supposed to take care of her if I can’t even see her on an ultrasound. What kind of mom am I if I can’t even tell my baby apart from my guts?” Chris said almost intelligibly as she buried her head into his abdomen pulling on his shirt. Jim tried to decipher what she said and couldn’t bite back the chuckled response that blurted out

“well if that’s what determines good parenthood then she’s screwed because I can’t tell either”

Chris pulled away to glare at him when Dr. Seyer lightly laughed, and caught their attention once again.

“Guys, it’s ok, your response is actually pretty common for an early stage ultrasound. Right now she’s pretty small and she hasn’t formed enough to be easy to spot by the untrained eye. Here, let me show you where she is” Dr. Seyer said as she tried to hold back the laughter at the couple – they were too adorable for their own good. She didn’t like to play favourites with her patients, but she thinks she just met her favourite expecting parents.

As both Chris and Street turned back to the screen while Dr Seyer repositioned the wand, and started pointing to the screen to show where the head and body where, Jim suddenly felt the need to sit down as he finally processed the first image of their daughter. “wow” was all he could say as he squeezed Chris’ hand and turned to her with the goofiest smile that had ever graced his face. Chris turned back to him and returned the smile as she whispered “hi… we made that” and Jim couldn’t help but chuckle in return “we really did, didn’t we?” as he leaned in to kiss her softly, both of them forgetting where they were for a second...that is until they suddenly got pulled back to reality when they heard Dr. Seyer say “and here’s her heartbeat” which was followed by the most beautiful sound either of them had ever heard. Both of them snapped out of their haze and looked up at the screen once again.

Not realizing he had forgotten to keep breathing – as all humans should – Street suddenly dropped to the ground as everything went dark.


	21. shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just some well deserved fluff continuation! 
> 
> sorry I've been MIA - I'm in my final semester of my Uni Degree! YAAYYAYAY but also that means I'm overwhelmed af with everything - from courses, to hw, to graduation + life after uni, etc. I'm also not working atm & well you know, its a pandemic - so craziness all around. thank you to all my readers, specially those who have been here since day 1 for your patience! we've been at this for over a year, but don't worry, i'm not giving up! We will finish this :) ! How are you guys feeling about Season 4 btw? I'm loving it so far, I just hope we get to season 5! if you're able to - watch it live and/or watch it directly on CBS or a tv channel app - the ratings currently for the show are abysmal and according to Spoiler TV it is on the road to cancellation. If you love the show like I do we gotta figure out a way to keep it alive. Anyways! enjoy this chapter, and I hope to have more for you soon!

Chris was in shock; She didn’t know if she should laugh, cry or freak out when she saw Street drop to the ground beside her as Dr. Seyer rushed to check on him. Suddenly the room was flooding with people as some nurses had heard the commotion and came in to help. Chris had at some point managed to get up and move to the side so they could lift Jim on to the gurney. It was as she watched this that she finally noticed the crying sounds she was hearing in the distance were actually hers. Before she could spiral any further however she felt a hand on her elbow and a heard a soft “Chris?” which made her turn to find it was Suzie next to her

“Chris, here, let’s sit down. Everything is going to be ok – he’s breathing – I think it was just a fainting spell – come on Chris – come with me, let’s get you some water” Suzie said as she pulled on Chris’ arm bringing her to a chair by the wall.

Chris had not taken her eyes off of Street for even a second during all of this, as she held her breath waiting for him to come back to her. While Suzie passed her a cup with water Chris suddenly saw him start to twitch as Dr Seyer passed some salts near his nose waking him up.

After getting looked over by the doctors and nurses, both Street and Chris were given all clears and allowed to head out. Having gotten the entire day off they decided to walk over to a nearby strip mall while they processed their morning and also to get some food as it was a little past lunch by that point. In all honesty neither was ready to face the LA traffic or get behind a wheel in the state they were in. After finding a small restaurant that looked cozy and not too expensive to get a quick meal at, Street decided they should just enjoy themselves and have a full on coupley date day. They started off by strolling around the strip mall to check out all the stores and maybe get a couple of things they would be needing for their growing and changing life.

Although Chris didn’t consider herself someone particularly big on PDA or clinginess, Jim had always been an exception to that rule, and having all the freedom that day to just be Jim & Chris the couple instead of Alonso and Street the SWAT partners, had made it a little bit harder to resist that need for constant physical contact with him, it was like she just couldn’t help herself. They started off fairly innocently, just walking close to each other, their hands brushing a lot, of course that meant soon after she had given up on all pretense and grabbed on to his hand, which he had happily agreed to quickly intertwining their fingers as he dragged her along like an excited puppy to the maternity store that he found around the corner they had just turned. Although Chris wanted to roll her eyes, she couldn’t help but fill with a sense of love and peace at the sight. She knew things were not going to be easy… at all… during this pregnancy. From the biological dad question, to the SWAT regulations, and the drama with all of her families... but she had never been more sure that everything would be ok, because she knew her and Jim were in this together, and she was never going to have to face anything alone again.

It was only as they were walking through the store, both highly confused about 90% of the things they saw in there, that the fears from this morning returned. How were they going to do this? Neither knew a single thing about having a baby, and this store was becoming very overwhelming as they realized just how unprepared they were and how little time they had to figure it all out. Thankfully the staff in the store seemed to be accustomed to seeing the people who walked in looking like this, because before either could really spiral, one of them had approached them.

“hi, my name is Noelle, was there anything I could help you find today?”

“um yeah… we’re having our first child and honestly we have no idea where to even start and we definitely don’t know what we need-” Street managed to answer, not even bothering to hide the panic that was starting to set in.

“that’s ok, becoming a first time parent is always a little scarier, but that’s what I’m here for, not only to help you navigate our store but also to help you find what you might need. may I ask how far along you are?” Noelle then turned to Chris as she addressed both of them and tried to calm them down. This snapped Chris out of her daze as she realized the lady was now speaking to her.

“huh?... oh around 14-15 weeks? Just about to start my second trimester” Chris managed to respond. “oh ok, well you guys are already doing great by coming in here so early. Have you already gotten some Maternity clothing? We have a great selection here, and I noticed you’re not showing a lot just yet so I’m sure it hasn’t been a priority for you just yet” Noelle said while gesturing to the back of the store where the clothing section was.

“actually no I haven’t haha, I have a uniform for work so I guess I hadn’t really considered that I would need … bigger clothes for my days off too” Chris said while letting out another small giggle as she finally relaxed a little bit. She followed Noelle to the back of the store who seemed delighted to have found the first thing they could tackle. Street meanwhile couldn’t help but chuckle as he let Chris drag him around to look at the maternity clothes while asking for his opinion. He truly loved how domestic this felt and although he knew the guys would get a kick out of how whipped Chris truly had him, he wouldn’t give this up for the world. She could take him shopping any time, and he’d never turn her down because he was really loving being domestic like this with her.

Noelle ended up being a godsend in their time of need, and she was definitely well compensated for her help as they ended up walking away with an armful of things. They got all sorts of baby and parenting books, maternity clothes, baby clothes and even a couple of toys. But more importantly they walked away with enough study material to quell their fears from that morning regarding their parenting skills. Taking advantage of the fact that once again Street’s old place was vacant that weekend, so they both headed there deciding they wanted to work on this together and not wanting their waste any of their time off apart. 

The weekend went by quicker than either of them wanted it too, and before they knew it they were back at work and keeping their relationship on the DL. The next week and case went by fairly quickly and the next Saturday evening Chris got a text from Ty & Kira asking to set up a meeting with her and Street so they could finally discuss how they were all going to move forward with the pregnancy and possible shared parenthood situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next... Chris AND Street finally sit down to talk with Ty & Kira about the baby... any predictions to how that will go?


	22. the shared parenthood talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y'all I managed to spit out another chapter within 24hrs... you know what that means right? ... i'm 10000% procrastinating on a couple of assignments i got due tonight... any-who! enjoy ;)

Deciding sooner was better than later, Chris and Street agreed to meet with Ty & Kira the next night at a nice, but quiet restaurant in downtown LA. This was a strategic move as they decided a public place that still offered some privacy would be the best compromise for them to have the discussion that needed to happen. Although they still had yet to discuss their living arrangements, and needing to hide their romantic relationship meant that they still spent most of their nights apart, that night became another exception. This time however they did not have Street’s apartment to escape to as it was booked for the weekend, so they decided to make another compromise by deciding to take a chance and spending the night over at Street & Luca’s house. They knew that if Luca were to question it, they could just chalk it up to nerves and a need for comfort due to the uncomfortable evening they were going to have the following night. They ended up not needing to excuse their actions at all however, as Street got a text message from Luca just 20 min after they got home saying he would be out for the next couple of nights to be with his family and asking him to make sure Duke got fed and walked.

What neither of them knew was that it was Luca’s own secret that had given them this reprieve, as he was once again spending the night at Tuana and Kelly’s, but then again the mention of family might have been Luca giving himself away a little bit as he had come to realize that’s exactly what they were.

Knowing they had the house to themselves, Street and Chris decided to make the most of their night and allowed themselves to enjoy some pure domestic bliss. After changing into some more comfortable clothes (Chris once again accepting that Jim was the exception to any and all of her rules as she put on one of his old LAPD shirt and a pair of his boxers). Instead of ordering in, they decided to make dinner together, choosing to then sit down and eat while watching a movie. Once the credits rolled by, Chris needed to work off some of that tension that had settled back in, so she decided that as she was technically a guest and Street had done most of the cooking, it made sense that she should do the dishes, so she picked everything up and headed to the kitchen. Of course Street as always had a sixth sense when it came to her and her mental state, and ever since they had officially started dating his atonement to her feelings had only increased. He quickly followed her as he tried to come up with something to say or do that would stop her from spiralling. Of course any train of thought he might have had went out the window at the sight of her in his kitchen wearing his clothes and doing the dishes. He stopped in his tracks and leaned against the wall to try to commit to memory the scene before him. Despite all the moments they’d shared so far in their relationship, this evening had by far been their most domestic one yet. There she was… the girl he was going to marry someday, if she ever let him. Chris must have been really caught up in her own head as she didn’t notice him boring holes into the back of her head as he stared intently. She eventually dropped one of their glasses in the sink and swore which snapped him out of his dazed state. He walked forward until he was standing right behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her into his chest as he laid his chin on her shoulder.

“you know we’re going to be ok, right? Everything’s going to go ok tomorrow” Street whispered softly. She instantly relaxed leaning her head against his.

“how do you know that for sure? How can you be so sure I won’t make a mess of things again?” Chris still asked in a slightly broken voice. Her last question took him by surprise but as he answered he pulled her even closer to him.

“because we’ve always been better as a team than as individuals. Because I trust you with my life, my heart and my soul. And I know you better than I know myself, so I have complete faith in you getting us through this…” he said sincerely as he unconsciously drew patterns on her bump with one of his fingers.

“what can I say, you’re my ride or die _babe_ ” Jim Joked lightly a beat afterwards trying to lighten up the atmosphere and get her to relax a little bit.

Chris released what sounded between a chuckle and a sob as she turned in his arms to face him a few tears streaking her cheeks.

“you’re the biggest idiot I know _mi amor_ … but I guess you’re my ride or die too. For better or for worse, right?” Chris teased back as she leaned up to kiss him softly.

Street didn’t know exactly when that pet name gained the ability to affect him this much, but he felt he couldn’t be held responsible after hearing her call him that again so he quickly escalated their kiss pulling her as close to him as it was possible with her growing bump. She had definitely grown a lot more over the past week, which made her look even better in his opinion, seriously – how could she be getting even hotter? Chris also felt needier as they hadn’t had a lot of alone time over the past week, and well – what can she say? Pregnancy hormones…and all that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.. and other parts needier” shit? But honestly – how dare this man be this hot and emotionally available to her, like how had she ever refused that? she must have been crazy because she could definitely not understand her previous decisions now. She was however going to thank the universe and all the entities tonight for letting them have the house to themselves; Because she was going to have her way with him as many times as she could tonight – you know, to be efficient, and make up for lost time, and all that jazz. This was not a thought that needed to be communicated as Street had definitely gotten the message and had now picked her up to sit her on the counter. They kept making out and fighting to remove each other’s clothes when Street’s hand slipped on the counter and he almost headbutted her. This gave them a moment to take in their location and positions, realizing the water was part of a spill leftover from washing the dishes. They both started laughing as they realized maybe this was not the best place to get it on, when there was a bed only like 6ft away. Not wanting to lose another moment, Street swiftly picked her up as she wrapped her legs around him and he started kissing down her neck while she guided him to his bedroom, their discarded clothing forgotten on the kitchen floor.

Despite both of them being extremely attractive, active and sexual people – that was the first night they had actually both had the energy and the privacy to fully enjoy each other. Although the sneaking around was fun, it had been really frustrating as they had barely found time to be together, and a lot of the nights they had spent together had mostly been spent lightly making out and sleeping due to the exhaustion their jobs brought + the extra exhaustion this second trimester had brought on for Chris. So it’d be a safe bet to say they both had just had one of the best nights of their lives so far. They had gone for around three rounds before calling it a night, knowing they needed to sleep and have clear heads the following day. That of course didn’t stop Chris from waking Jim up around 10am for round four. They both agreed that’s the only way they wanted to wake up for as long as they could after round four – both blissed out and holding each other closely as they let reality slowly seep in, not wanting to rejoin the world just yet.

After getting up, Jim headed for the shower and despite the desire to join him, Chris decided to instead surprise him by making breakfast for the both of them while she was just wearing the first shirt she found in his closet, which just happened to be the one he wore on their first date. Thankfully Luca had not gotten home yet which gave her time to also pick up all the clothes they had left in the kitchen the night before when they didn’t care about anything other than each other. After eating, Chris went off to shower while Jim cleaned up, and then they headed out to run some errands – not wanting to sit around with nothing to do while they waited for dinner time to roll around the corner. It helped that they hadn’t had a day off in a week so they definitely had a lot of pertinent errands they could run today. Of course that also meant that time flew by, and before they knew it – it was time for them to get ready and head to the restaurant.

This time around, Street drove Chris’ truck – both knowing it would be too difficult for her to drive and freak out at the same time. Street held her hand the entire ride over softly whispering reassurances every now and then to keep her from locking herself in her head and shutting down or shutting him out. They managed to beat Ty & Kira to the restaurant by 10 minutes, allowing them a small reprieve to get their thoughts and acts together before the real discussion began. Despite all of this, things were awkward to say the least.

Ty and Kira arrived with tense smiles and looking like they were ready for more than a serious discussion, everything was on the table tonight. Street wanted to break the ice first, knowing this was not going to be pretty either way but decided it probably wouldn’t be ideal to make his presence acknowledged right now given everything that had happened. Chris sensing his internal turmoil decided to put everyone out of their misery by speaking first.

“hey… how was the honeymoon?” Chris started out dumbly… cringing and regretting her choice of ice breaker as soon as it left her lips. However this actually lightened Kira slightly remembering the last conversation her and Chris had had.

“it was good. Thanks for asking… how have you been?” Kira replied in a tentative tone herself.

“um…good. Actually I had something to show you guys!” Chris said as she began rummaging through her bag to bring up a copy of the ultrasound picture. “Hicks, our boss, finally found out about the baby and he made it mandatory for me to get monthly scans if I want to keep being in the field, and so I had to get one last week as part of that deal.” Chris said as she pushed the black and white picture over to their side of the table so they could see.

“oh wow” Ty finally spoke for the first time as he picked up the picture to look at it closely.

“her? It’s a girl?” Kira said as she caught on to what Chris had said. She realized that even though she had mentioned her hunch to both Ty & Street, Kira had never found out.

“we don’t know for sure, but Chris has had a hunch ever since she found out she was pregnant” Street finally spoke up after Chris had stayed silent for a couple of seconds too long. Of course this brought the reality of the situation and what they were all there to discuss back to the forefront.

“… right, ok.” Kira said, her tone suddenly a lot less friendly which was enough to bring Ty’s attention back to the conversation as well.

Chris sensed it was time to tackle this head on, no more avoiding the elephant in the room. Street, as always super in tone with her, subtly moved his hand to squeeze her thigh reassuringly and give her that push she needed to finally bring it all up.

“ok, let’s just talk about the elephant in the room. I don’t think any of us can handle any more beating around the bush, and this baby is going to be here sooner than later so we really need to get things figured out. In the goals of full transparency and giving you the honesty you deserve, I think it’s important that you know that Jim and I are together now, and we’re both pretty serious about each other, so regardless of who the biological dad ends up being, Jim will be a part of this child’s life as some version of a father figure. And I hope moving forward we can all work together for the benefit of the baby and maybe we can find a way to move past all of this and forgive each other for their sake” Chris said.

Kira seemed to be getting slightly upset by Chris’ news and was clearly holding her tongue while Ty seemed fairly calm for having just heard he would have to share this child with Jim street if it were to be his.

“ok. I agree that honesty is the best way to move forward which is why I also feel the need to share something with you Chris. Before Kira and I got engaged we discussed a lot of the things that came with marriage, and that of course included children. And to be completely honest with you – Kira and I agreed then that we did not want to bring any children into this world or take on the responsibility of raising someone. Obviously we never discussed that with you because it didn’t feel pertinent at the time and well it never came up, but now that it is here and it’s not just a hypothetical life but a real one, it’s only fair that we share our believes with you so you can understand why it took us so long to process all of this. There were many layers we had to work through in order to understand how we had ended up in this situation. - ” Ty shared. This all had finally snapped Kira back into action, who decided to continue for Ty.

“look what Ty is trying to say is that now that we’ve come around to how real this is and what it all means, we can honestly tell you that if this child is Ty’s we will work to be present in their lives, because we could never abandon them –we are not those kinds of people, we will do the right thing, and I will love that child as my own because it’s a part of Ty and that’s all that matters. But if we’re being honest that’s probably as far as we could go with this… so if this baby is Jim’s … then I think it’d be best for everyone involved if Ty & I walked away.” Kira said.

Chris felt all the air leave her lungs when she processed what Ty & Kira had just said. A series of emotions did a small rampage through her mind and soul in a very short amount of time. A part of her was relieved at the possibility of being able to keep their daughter between just her and Jim and not having to share her with Ty & Kira. But the other part of her, the part of her heart that now solely focused on her daughter’s wellbeing was extremely hurt at knowing they felt this way. It was the worst type of rejection one could face and the thought of her daughter going through that enraged her. There were many things she would allow, but anything that hurt her daughter or put her in danger was unacceptable to her, and she was going to make sure they knew that.

“so was this meeting just for you guys to say you’re ok with a post card and 2 weekends / year as long as she shares your blood type but otherwise we should forget you exist? … you do realize she’s here already. You know she can already detect and hear sounds. Within the next couple of months she will respond to sound and voices, which means regardless of the paternity – she will know you. So what are your intentions for during the pregnancy? Do you even want to be present for it? Or do you just want a phone call after the birth with the paternity results to know if you have to ‘ _take responsibility’_ or not? Let me guess – this will be like our relationship was – behind closed doors I’m your girlfriend but in front of strangers I’m a close friend. You know I may have been ok with letting myself get treated like that but I’m not about to let you treat my daughter like some dirty little secret or unfortunate mistake that you now have to ‘deal’ with. So you better figure out real quick what it is that you actually want. Are you in or are you out? You can’t be one foot in and one foot out the door this time. Or did you forget that this is an entire life we’re bringing into the world?” Chris suddenly gets up abruptly not being able to deal with them any longer and heads to the bathrooms. Street fought the desire to leave them to go in search for Chris without saying something first.

“look I get that you might not consider yourselves parents and maybe it wasn’t your choice to become parents, but there is a strong chance you could already be that. How you handle this – now that is a choice you still have. The mistakes that Chris and I might have made – they are all in the past, and we can’t change any of that now – they also only involved fully grown adults. This doesn’t. I don’t care who the biological father of this baby is, I see her as my own already. And I get that maybe parenting is just not for you and you don’t want to participate. But if that’s the case, then own up to it now. This baby deserves parents who love and cherish her existence, not parents who felt some sort of misguided duty because of their DNA connection and who mostly view her as a regret or a mistake. She deserves more than that – because even though a lot of mistakes led up to this pregnancy, this child’s existence is not one of them. This child doesn’t need you if you don’t want her – we have no expectations for you. Consider this an out. I know that Chris and I would rather you walk away now than walk away later when you could actually cause irreparable damage in our child’s life. So don’t contact us again until you figure it out.” Jim began walking away when he had an afterthought. “oh and you can keep that ultrasound picture by the way, that’s your copy.”

Jim made sure to grab both his & Chris’ things before he headed off to look for her in the direction she had gone in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you catch any spelling or sentence oddness mistakes just ignore it xD or remember that i have no one to proof read and also that means i kinda just write it and post it without really checking over it again - at least not right away.


	23. bathroom surprises & sweet dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> guess who's on a roll? ... also guess who rolled out of bed at 9am today for her 9am lecture? both are this girl right here- but honestly it is such a perk to have online classes in that sense because you get to still get there on time and you not only cut down on the time you would've have spent commuting but also on the time it takes to get ready in the morning when you have to show your face & body LOL haha

Chris had managed to get past the bathroom door before her hormones got the best of her and she began crying. Of all the things she could have imagined happening tonight, not once had the idea that they didn’t want to be a part of her child’s life crossed her mind. It’s not like she wanted to share this baby with them and have to deal with everything co-parenting would involve, but it just never occurred to her that that could happen. Once again Ty & Kira had proved that the relationship they’d had with Chris was not on equal footing to the one they had with each other. Despite having dated for months and even lived together, she kept getting blindsided by things they never bothered trying to share with her, this being one of them. How had they never discussed this before? What was she supposed to do now? She knew she wasn’t alone, Jim was all in and so was she. But still, she felt a complete loss as to how to handle this new issue. She knew she had to talk this through with Jim, because they were a team now, and this was something that they had to face together – as a unit. Before Chris could cry, rage or spiral any further down this new rabbit hole someone appeared in front of her and softly called out her name as more of question. “Chris?”

It took her a second while she wiped her tears to put a name to the familiar voice. And as she looked up it all clicked. Molly Hicks was standing in front of her with a concerned look.

“Molly?” Chris asked confused, but it sounded more like a croak since she had been crying.

“hey Chris, is everything ok? do you need anything?” Molly asked maintaining a caring tone.

“um yeah, sorry – just those pregnancy hormones acting up haha, nothing to worry about” Chris said in the best nonchalant tone she could muster. She was definitely not about to take Molly Hicks of all people down the rabbit hole she was in at the moment. Molly however seemed to be taken aback by Chris’ answer as she hadn’t noticed the bump that was now fairly noticeable due to the fitted top Chris was wearing.

“Oh my god, wow! Congratulations! I didn’t know you were having a baby!” Molly said excitedly – she was clearly oblivious to the internal turmoil Chris was having and she definitely had no idea about her situation – guess it makes sense that Hicks doesn’t bring office gossip home.

“um yeah! Haha honestly we just started telling people – you’re definitely one of the first few to find out, I haven’t even told my family yet – but we figured it was time since this little nectarine is getting harder to hide, y’know?”

“oh wow, well you look amazing, honestly! You’re like actually glowing! Guess that’s not a myth after all, huh?” Molly said laughing.

“haha thanks, I guess the benefits have finally started rolling in – but honestly that first trimester is not joke, I swear I don’t know how I was able to hide it from the team for so long when I spent the better part of the past three, almost four months bent over a toilet. I definitely don’t miss that!” Chris laughed back.

“oh I can’t imagine! I bet the team is equally excited and overprotective over you now, huh?”

“haha honestly you’d think so but I think they’re a little more scared of me biting their head off for trying to give me special treatment or questioning my abilities. So you know, that’s been keeping them at bay so far!” Chris felt her phone buzz in her hand and saw she had gotten a text from Jim – probably to check on her and plan their escape after that disaster with Ty & Kira. Molly noticed the text notification too and just said “you wanna get out of the bathroom, I think we’ve officially passed at that point where we’ve been in here too long.” Molly joked as she headed towards the door signalling for Chris to follow her as they continued their conversations.

“So you said we! Who’s the lucky man that got you to finally settle down?” Molly asks with a mischievous but curious look as she opened the door to the bathroom for Chris. But before Chris could answer, they both saw that there was someone right outside the door.

“hey, you ok babe- ?” asked Street having spotted Chris first as the door to the bathroom opened in front of him.

“Jim” Molly then said softly as she saw him – it was only afterwards that she realized what he had just said to Chris.

“ooooh… ok wow. I – I didn’t know you guys were a couple. But huh I guess that makes sense.” Molly said as she began processing all the information that she had just learned. So Jim was clearly not single… he was with Chris – and they were having a BABY! woo talk about serious. She had definitely not seen that coming.

“um yeah haha – it’s been… a long and complicated road to get here, but yeah – we’re finally together” Chris said awkwardly as she unconsciously moved closer to Jim and grabbed his hand. She wanted to say she felt bad about that twinge of possessiveness that was lighting up –But knowing that Molly had been interested in Jim and that she had asked Chris for help in seeing if he was available justified that feeling for her a little bit. But the truth was overall she just felt relief – she knew that if there was anyone who could’ve benefited from her stupidity when it came to Street and her feelings for him it was Molly Hicks – because that girl had known what she wanted, and if Chris had been dumb enough to push them together when she was still in denial about her feelings for him, a part of her was sure that she would’ve lost Street – possibly forever.

Suddenly Jim was pulling her into him and intertwining their fingers – effectively pulling her out of that train of thought – once again Jim seemed to prove his sixth sense when it came to her- she was starting to think he could read her mind. She curled into his side seeking that comfort only he could offer.

“wow – well I’m so happy for you both! Congratulations! I know you’re going to be great parents!” Molly said but her excitement seemed a little more forced this time around.

“Thanks Molly! And well, we’re definitely going to try! But can we ask you for a favour – do you think you could keep the fact that we’re dating a secret for now? Your dad and our team already know about the baby and that I’m the dad, but we haven’t told them yet that we’re a couple. I know it sounds super odd, and it’s kind of a long story but basically we just want a little more time working together on the same team before one of us has to transfer. You get that, right?” Jim asked hoping Molly would get it and not tell her dad.

Despite all the weirdness Molly did get it, and she actually had no problem keeping their secret.

“yeah, of course! Your secret is safe with me” Molly said sincerely in a light tone.

“thank you, honestly you don’t know how much that means to us” Chris said gratefully, and they then went their separate ways as Molly didn’t want to keep her colleagues waiting any longer.

As they got into Chris’ truck, Jim decided to lighten the atmosphere a little bit.

“well, what a night, huh?” he joked slightly. Chris laughed slightly despite the grimace that had been on her face before.

“tell me about it… or actually don’t – I don’t think I could replay it when I had to live through it. Once was enough” she joked back as she tried to get comfortable in the passenger’s seat. Street moved his hand over grab hers and brought it up to kiss her knuckles lightly.

“well at least we faced it together, right _amor_?” Street said softly with her hand still by his mouth so she could feel his breath. Chris turned her hand around and gently cupped his face.

“ _si, tu y yo juntos por siempre mi amor_ ” Chris said softly as she turned to face him and leaned her head on the backrest never breaking eye contact.

“I don’t know exactly what that meant – but I love you too” Street said as he leaned over to quickly kiss her temple before turning back and starting the car. Chris was exhausted and had fallen asleep less than 5 minutes after they had exited the restaurant’s parking lot. Thanks to LA traffic and being downtown it took them over an hour to get back to Luca’s house. By the time they were back, so was Luca, but deciding to ignore that fact Street carried Chris bridal style into the house planning to go straight to his (their?) bedroom because she was still dead asleep. Of course he barely got past the main threshold before Luca exclaimed loudly from the kitchen.

“hey Street, is that you?”

Street felt Chris stir in his arms a bit so he looked down to check on her and at the same time he heard Lucas footsteps coming towards him. Thankfully Chris was still asleep, which calmed the sudden rage he had felt when he thought Luca had woken her up. Finally looking up he saw Luca approaching him with an expression that showed a combination of concern, confusion and giddiness – he knew that if anyone was going to figure out how truly whipped Chris had him, it would be Luca.

Before Street could think of something to say Luca spoke again – this time in a much softer tone as he finally got the memo that they should let Chris sleep.

“is she ok?”

“honestly? I’m not entirely sure. The meeting with Ty & Kira did not go smoothly… but you know somehow we walked away vindicated – because for once we’re not the most messed up in this situation”

“oh man that sounds rough – want to talk about it?” Luca asked – as caring as always.

“actually yeah, I wouldn’t mind that – I’ve been missing those real talk sessions you and I have – but first let me just get her settled in my room real quick and then I’ll be right back!” Street said. Starting to feel the strain of carrying his pregnant girlfriend. He would carry her whenever she needed him too, but right now he was definitely getting a little tired and the last thing he wanted was to accidentally drop her because he over extended himself.

“sounds good – you want me to get you a beer while you do that?” Luca said as he headed back towards the kitchen.

“Sure man, that sounds good!” Street said as he was by the door to his room, quickly entering it as he closed the door lightly behind him with this foot.

As he settled Chris into the bed he realized her arms had at some put gotten around his neck and she was holding on for dear life still. After trying a few times to get her to let go he finally realized he was going to have to wake her up slightly just so she would let go.

“hey Chris… babe… Chris… _mamacita_ ” Jim whispered in her ear as he shook he shoulder slightly.

Chris finally replied to the last one with something unintelligible and quickly went back to sleep so he had to try again.

“ _mamacita, despierta_ I need you to move your arms so I can help you get your shoes off and help you get more comfortable”

Chris mumbled again but this time it was more of a whine and he could understand what she was saying “but I want you to stay close to me”. Despite her protests Chris moved her arms from his neck and he was able to stand up straight again and start working on taking off her shoes. Chris was so far in her sleep that she turned into the bed and grabbed his pillow to hug to her body as soon as both her shoes were off. He was pulling the comforter around her when Chris whispered “mhmm I love the way you smell” as she buried her nose into his pillow.

Street smiled brightly taking in the sight. She looked so beautiful and peaceful – a part of him just wanted to crawl in with her and hold her close. Before he could consider it further however he heard Luca call from the hallway.

“Everything ok in there?”

“yeah be right out” Street said before heading to drop a kiss on her forehead and whispering “ Good night _amor_. Sweet dreams” as he brushed her hair back. After one last look Street headed out to join Luca who was now in the living room waiting for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also just a quick verification : Chris is now 16 weeks along!


	24. heart to heart with Luca

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> am i still on a roll? yes -  
> are you guy ready for everything I'm about to start dropping - I'm not sure. but lets just say we're entering the beginning of the end - the third act and all that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw im sorry if this chapter is shitty - my computer decided to act up when I was writing this and the next chapter and my document crashed and i couldn't recover the original version I had for them- i lost like 10 pages of the work I did for this that day :(

“So, what were you two up to tonight?” Luca questioned suggestively as Street came to join him on the couch. The Raptors vs the Mavericks game playing in the background on their TV.

“I don’t know what you’re imagining but I can assure you it was nothing like that. We met with Ty & Kira tonight to talk about the baby.” Jim said in a solemn tone.

“oh wow… how’d that go? I mean clearly it went better than I imagined because you’re still in one piece but I’m guessing from what how Chris looked that she wasn’t as lucky?” Luca replied turning to give even more of his attention to Street.

“honestly they kind of threw a curveball at Chris… well at us really… turns out they never planned on having kids and well basically they said that they’d be present and you know ‘do the right thing’ and take responsibility if it was biologically Ty’s but otherwise they wanted nothing to do with the baby…”

“WHAT? Are you serious?!” Luca exclaimed a little too loudly making Street slap him on the arm as he shushed him.

“dude keep it down, Chris is really stressed about this already and she hasn’t been sleeping very well because of the baby – you know all the changes to her body and all of that – not to mention that we all have to work tomorrow and I’m 100% sure none of you want to deal with an emotionally unstable AND sleep deprived pregnant Chris tomorrow. So don’t piss either of us off and ruin our day tomorrow by waking her up.” Street whispered yelled at him deadly serious.

“sorry man, I had no idea… you’re really in love with her, aren’t you?” Luca suddenly asked him.

Street was taken by surprise, and for a second considered lying – worried that being honest would give away the new nature of their relationship by accident … again – since that had already happened tonight. But he couldn’t bring himself to hide it anymore.

“yeah… I do. Honestly man … - and don’t tell anyone I said this because I literally sleep like 6ft away from you so you don’t want to try me – but I think she’s it for me. I honestly can’t see myself with anyone else.” Said softly while trying to fight the goofy smile that wanted to take over his face.

“wow man… that’s huge. I had no idea. Guess now it makes a lot of sense why you suddenly deleted all those dating apps and decided to try ‘celibacy’ or whatever until the right woman came along… it’s because she was there all along this whole time, huh?” Luca says surprised but serious.

“haha yeah… in a way. I think a part of me was always aware that she would always be different… she always meant something more – I just didn’t know how to handle that and well you know how she is about the whole dating cops thing, so I just stuffed all that down and ignored it, did my best to not try to figure out what it all meant because it just – it was never gonna happen, you know? … and then well – you know the rest. I guess I’m just happy I’m here, and I’m going to do everything possible to stop my recklessness or stupidity from ruining this chance. Because idk if I’ll get another one, so you know. I just gotta make sure I get it right this first time!”

“man that’s crazy. I never thought I’d see the day where we all settled down. But you know now with Hondo taking care of Darryl, Tan planning on proposing to Bonnie, you and Chris are bringing new life into this world! … and well I finally found someone I’m super serious about too. Its honestly all a little crazy huh? Guess all the members of 20 David are finally settling down!” Luca exclaimed.

“I know right! but wait… what? Tan is gonna propose to Bonnie?... wait you’re super serious about someone?? Who?!” Street says as starts registering everything Luca had just said.

“Yeah he told me last week about it! Ahaha guess we know who’s gonna be best man then” Luca joked avoiding the second part of the question.

“ _Luca_ ” Street said sternly – almost in a “this is serious- stop avoiding the subject” dad voice- once again the kid proving to be a natural at everything he tried, Luca was sure that Street was going to be a great dad.  
“oh you caught that huh… um yeah I guess I’ve been keeping a secret of my own … so you remember how I help tutor Kelly, that girl with Dyslexia? Well it turns out her mom Tuana and I have a lot in common and after I went to that school with the special program for dyslexic kids to ask the principal to let Kelly keep the spot she had earned – well Tuana kinda made the first move and asked me out that night – and well yeah I’m kind of totally in love with her, and I really love Kelly too. She’s actually really happy and ok with me dating her mom and I’m just happy to spend all the time I can with them and so like … its actually getting pretty serious and I’ve been thinking about maybe seeing if we could move in together…” Luca explained.

“oh wow. Man I had no idea, I’m sorry I’ve been so focused on me I haven’t been there for you, but I’m so happy for you man! That’s amazing! You know, in a way it’s like we’re both becoming dad’s now! Although your kid might already come with instructions haha but you know.. if you end up taking that role – I think you’re going to be a great dad. And from what I’ve seen you already kinda are that for Kelly. And well … Chris might kill me for telling you this but in the spirit of honesty – we …are giving it a shot and well you already know how I feel about her and our baby. So you know how serious I’m about it too and I’ve been thinking about asking her if she wants to get a place together – because right now she doesn’t have a place and well it also helps that it seems like you might be needing my bedroom fairly soon too” Street replied finishing with a wink when he hinted at the possibility of Kelly needing the room Street currently occupied.

Luca laughed lightly and softly exclaimed “Man I knew it! I knew there was something going on with you two – you know you’re terrible at hiding how you feel about her so there was never any doubt on your end, but ever since she told us about the pregnancy and you two getting it on I’ve actually noticed that she’s just as much of an open book about her feelings for you too nowadays. Like seriously, it can get a little uncomfortable being the third wheel in a room with you two nowadays haha. So wait, does this all meant that Ty & Kira are out of the picture now for good? What did you all end up deciding tonight?” Luca said, remembering how their talk started.

“I am not that bad! And well yeah – turns out I’m it for Chris too. And she made that clear to Ty & Kira tonight too. She told them no matter what happened with the paternity they should get used to seeing me around because this was our child as much as theirs and I was going to be a part of this child’s no matter what. It was pretty awesome to hear her say that, not gonna lie. And well honestly we didn’t decide anything for certain but Chris and I made it clear that they had to decide whether they were in or out. There was no one foot in, one foot out the door option when it came to the life of our daughter. And if they don’t plan on being a part of this child’s life if its biologically mine then what’s the point of them being present during the pregnancy and allowing our baby to get to know them just so they can disappear from her life once she’s born – rejecting her because she doesn’t share any DNA with them. Honestly both of us walked away really disappointed and hurt– because even if she’s not here yet this girl is our whole world already, and the idea that her possible biological father could reject her like that – it’s just unimaginable to me. Like I was never a fan of the idea that I might have to share her with them for the rest of her and our life. But I never imagined they would ever reject her like this – and that is a worse reality than the one I had imagined where we would all co-parent. At least it happened now, and not when she’s here and forming memories with them because at least now I will make sure she’ll never feel that rejection – especially from them. If they walk away now I will make sure that they can never come back and mess with my little girl, regardless of a biological connection or not. This choice they have to make is going to be a forever deal.” Street ranted. Honestly he was still processing the night’s events but this much he had clear. Before Luca could say anything else someone else answered to his rant making them both look up.

“I couldn’t agree more” Chris said smiling softly as she stood at the entrance of the living room from the hallway.

“hey sleeping beauty” Luca teased as Street got up and walked to stand in front of her.

“hey Luca, when did you get back?” Chris responded confused as the mental sleep fog was just beginning to clear. Suddenly Jim was right next to her pulling her to his side as he dragged her over to the couch where he had been sitting earlier so they could sit together.

“oh just about an hour before you two love birds slipped in – definitely not unnoticed” Luca teased again waggling his eyebrows as both Chris and now Street became flustered. Chris for the most part just turning bright red and unconsciously moving to hide her face in Street’s chest rather than separate from him.

“dudee” Street hissed. Giving Chris all she needed to know that it seemed their secret was once again not so secret anymore – because Luca knew.

“you told him?” Chris said now pulling back to look at Jim trying to give him the deadliest glare she could muster – but honestly she wasn’t that surprised or mad – she actually wanted to laugh because it was actually surprising that they had managed to stay under Luca’s radar for so long when him & Street actually lived together.

“sorry? … it just all kinda came out … but you know he was keeping a secret too and he just told me so you know – we’re all even now! Right?” Street said crumbling under her gaze but also feeling a bit of pleasure at knowing he could direct her anger to Luca instead. Luca had been laughing earlier seeing Chris chastising Street but now that it was his turn to be in the hotseat he wanted to make a run for it. Nobody wanted Chris mad at them.

Suddenly however a stomach was heard growling and Chris’ expression turned from a glare to a pout. But before she addressed her sudden change in mood she turned to look at Luca straight in the eye and said “I will deal with you later” in a jokingly serious tone before turning back to direct the full power of her pout at street.

“the baby’s hangry. That’s what woke me up – I just realized we never got a chance to eat at the restaurant” Chris said in an almost whiny tone as her eyes seemed to plead at Street while she wrapped her arms around his waist.

“oh yeah? And what does the baby want to eat?” Street said smiling because he was adoring seeing Chris like this. Still sleepy but clearly in need of some food ASAP.

“A large curry veggie pizza with pickles and a chocolate Sunday – the pizza has to be veggie! No meat or chicken – you know I can’t stand those at all lately… oh and French Fries!!!” Chris exclaimed as her eyes lit up excitedly and she sat up a bit more.

“Ok – lets figure out how we can make that happen!” Street replied happily as he leaned forward to grab his phone off the coffee table. Meanwhile Luca started laughing having witnessed the exchange go down.

“man I never thought I’d see you two like this, but you’re actually pretty cute together…. Almost too cute though, that was like nauseatingly cute haha you’ve really got him whipped, huh Chris?”

Knowing that a sleepy, hangry, pregnant Chris was even scarier Street decided to save Luca by replying first.

“hey, leave her alone dude. She’s growing an entire human as we speak, what was the most remarkable thing we did today? – she can boss me around any time she wants cause you & I know I could never do what she’s doing!” Street said giving him a serious look to cut it out.

Chris however feeling giddy she was about to fulfill her current craving dreams decided to let it go and instead giggle as she said “you’re right – we’re pretty fucking cute” while snuggling into Street’s chest while he scrolled through the skip the dishes app trying to find everything she had asked for. Street took the opportunity to lean back and wrap his arm around her more securely while they kept looking.

“hey while you’re looking on there – think you can order us some pizza too Street? My treat” Luca asked as he looked at them and rolled his eyes affectionally while getting up to go check if there was still that mysterious new jar of pickles that had appeared in their fridge last week. Luca now realized it was probably Street who had bought it for Chris as neither of them liked pickles.

“sure man – do you want anything else?”

“oh actually Chris had a good idea with the ice cream, think you can get us Sundays too! I want a strawberry one” Luca shouted back as he pulled the jar or pickles, a bottle of water and another couple of beers out and brought them back to the living room.

He handed the bottle of water and the pickles to Chris as he said “figured you could use a snack while we wait for the food”

“awe thanks Luca! Where did you get these pickles from? And how did you know they were my favourites?” Chris said receiving the jar and setting it on the coffee table with her water bottle and moving back to her earlier position curled around Street.

“ask your pillow, he was the one who bought them – I just got it from the fridge” Luca replied laughing as he sat on the arm chair and duke came to shit by his feet.

Chris’ started tearing up as she moved her head to look up at Jim from her position – these damn hormones making her cry at weird times – but man did she love the man in her arm.

“God, I love you so much” Chris suddenly told him. moving to kiss the spot on his chest where her cheek was laying and tightening her grip around his waist. Street smiled and leaned down to place a kiss on her hair as he whispered back “good. Because I love you so much too”. His hand around her waist shifted to start caressing and drawing figures with his fingers on her growing bump as he sent the order for their food which he had just finished filling out.

The three of them decided to put on a Netflix movie while they waited and then ate – laughing and getting to relax as they could finally be fully themselves at ‘home’ since their secret was out with Luca. Luca also began sharing more with the two about his own secret relationship with Tuana and how things had been with them over the weekend. Soon after they ate the movie ended and they all head off to sleep since they had to be up at 6am once again for their shifts the next day. Street and Chris felt giddy over the fact they could head off to Street’s (their) room as a couple, without any fear of being caught or rated out by Luca. He had promised to keep their secret and allow them to tell Hondo when they were ready – as long as it didn’t interfere at work in any way. Once again Chris changed into some of Jim’s clothes to go to sleep, both too tired to do anything more than share some soft good night kisses as they curled into each other. Chris had definitely been having a harder time getting comfortable to go to sleep, especially when she was on her own, but thankfully tonight she had her favourite pillow, too bad she couldn’t have him with her every night. Maybe it was finally time to invest in one of those pregnancy pillows they saw at that maternity store - at least for the nights when she couldn’t have him next to her.


	25. the case that changed things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> whaaat ? the 25th chapter on the 25th of the month - i wish i could say i'd written this fic in just a month instead of a 1yr+ but that's ok - we're getting there. now let's see if maybe there will be a 26th chapter on the 26th ;)

Chris was excited for their next shift because her and Tan were off on a special assignment as a protective detail for the governor of California who was hosting a human rights conference. The most exciting part for her would be getting the chance to get to hear and possibly meet some of the speakers – particularly Amina Abadi – a human rights activist who was working to bring a light to the human rights violations and lack of equality for women in her country.

At only 24yrs old she had already seen and suffered more than most, having been captured and tortured along with five of her friends by her government and managing to escape on her own – having to seek asylum from the US government. Amina continued to speak out in public despite all dangers because her five friends were still imprisoned and she was now also fighting for their freedom.

Chris truly admired her and was hoping she could at least let her know that. Although this was a fairly small event compared to other’s they had handled, the threat for the safety of some of the speakers was still very real, and Chris’ hope for a smooth and safe day for everyone were shattered when Amina was kidnapped and her bodyguard shot, as she was leaving the venue soon after her speech. Chris had tried to save her but she had been to late only managing to get a look at the car as it sped away. She felt responsible and angry that she had let this happen – specially to her – that she had let the bad men get to her. Back to HQ however, Hondo talked some sense into her as he reminded her that her responsibility had been the Governor, who was safe and had been kept out of harm’s way, so she had done her job and she’d done it really well. He also reminded her how now they would all work together to make sure they got Amina back safely.

Chris was taking this personally – it wasn’t just that she still felt guilt over not having been fast enough to get to her and save her but also that she looked at Amina like a role model. Amina was a member of their fairly small group – women who had managed to break barriers and do the impossible to make this world better and more inclusive for the next generation. An attack on Amina felt like an attack on her. She couldn’t believe Amina’s family was so unaffected by her disappearance and the idea that someone close to her, like the bodyguard, could’ve been in on her kidnapping.

Street was getting a little concerned about how Chris was handling this case, he could tell how important Amina was to her but he also knew that she needed to stay calm and not get too worked because it could be really bad for her and the baby. Knowing the last thing she wanted was him policing her, he decided it’d be best to give her space – specially physical space – because they’d noticed that now that they were so touchy/feely it was getting really hard to keep their hands off each other even while at work. He knew that if he even sat next to her in black betty his instincts to pull her into his side and comfort her would win over the need to maintain their secret . He also knew that if he did that Chris’ would crumble – allowing all the emotions of the day to crash on her and right now that would not be good or safe for her, or really any of them. They both needed to keep their composure in order to stay safe. So he jumped at the chance to sit at the front next to Tan instead – giving both of them the space they needed to maintain clear heads.

Although they seemed to keep finding dead ends during this case, they finally caught a break when they were able to locate Kareem Kashani, Amina’s boyfriend who was supposed to be with her as they were going to be flown together to safety by a friend they had made. Rocker’s team was bringing Kareem in, and knowing that this was something Chris needed to know, Street went to look for her to tell her the good news. He found her in the locker room talking with Tan.

“Amina’s boyfriend is here” Street said as he came in and walked over to stan near her as she sat on the bench.

“yeah, I heard he’s refusing to speak” Tan says while leaning next to his locker.

“why?” Chris asks confused and angry.

“Well he probably thinks he’s protecting her by keeping quiet. So he rented the car to create a diversion, thinking the bad guys would follow him, allowing Amina the chance to escape.” Street answers directing his explanation to Chris.

“That’s either really romantic –“ Tan starts

“or really stupid.” Chris deadpan – looking directly into Jim’s eyes to ensure he got her message ‘don’t ever do anything that dumb for me’.

“someone needs to remind this guy we’re trying to help keep his girlfriend alive” Chris said getting angrier.

Tan noticed Chris was getting worked up and decided it was time to start making his escape. After all if anyone could talk Chris down or deal with that it’d be Street, and he’d rather not get caught in any crossfire.

“yeah.” Tan said heading out of the locker, patting Chris on the shoulder when he passed by her to let her know he fully agreed.

As soon as Tan left Jim sat down next to Chris, but only a couple of seconds later she moved to get up. Jim however quickly moved to grab her arm and pull her back down to him as he said “now, wait a second” the quick movement had ended with her practically sitting on his lap, and while they both wanted to stay like that they had enough common sense to know they probably shouldn't, so Jim wrapped his arms around Chris while he helped her move so she was back sitting on the bench but still super close to him.

“ _babe_ , I know you admire her” Jim said softly to Chris who was slightly leaning on his shoulder.

“yeah, I’ve been reading about her ever since she first came to the U.S.” She replied turning into him a bit further as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

“yeah. Me, too.” Street replied, making Chris pull back so she could look into his eyes while making a face that seemed to show surprise, adoration and love. Chris was honestly surprised to hear that he also knew about and had been keeping up with Amina’s story. Usually she was the only one who liked to learn and read about those types of things, and she would usually be the one who introduced him to these things (and the rest of the team if she was being honest). It made her surprised but also extremely happy that he was hers. As if she needed any more reasons to love him.

“what?” he asked laughing slightly taken aback by her look but also feeling extremely loved. she simply smiled brighter.

“you got to go through the news section to get to the sports section, right? - I read” he joked hoping to get her to laugh. But suddenly she was pulling herself back into his embrace an hiding her face on his chest as she went back over what happened earlier that day.

“you know, I told her the world would hear her. But what if it doesn’t? what if it’s all for nothing? She stood up for her friends, for girls and women everywhere, and this might cost her everything… how are we supposed to bring our daughter into the world and raise her to be a strong woman, when this is the world we live in? when being a strong woman can get you persecuted, kidnapped, tortured… killed. You know a large reason why I admire Amina is that she gives me hope, she’s fighting for the future I want for our daughter, but if she dies, if we’re not able to keep her safe – it just makes me wonder how we’re going to keep our daughter safe. You know, we won’t be around forever and there will be a point when she will be out in this world on her own… and I want her to be herself, to be brave, to be strong and to be a fighter, but I know and I’ve seen how difficult and dangerous that can be in our current world. And it scares me to death to imagine bringing her into a world where the women who are like that are disappearing faster than they are being replaced – especially knowing that we haven’t always been able to keep them safe.” Chris says – trying her best not to break out in tears as Jim pulls her in tighter.

“I’m scared too, y’know?. but Amina is not dead yet and we’re going to get her back. And she’s not the only one who is making this world better for women – particularly for strong women. I know that I will never fully understand what that experience is like, but I know that you and I will never stop fighting to make this world better for our little girl – and maybe it won’t be enough, but we’re not alone Chris, and she’s never going to be alone either – and we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure she had the tools and the knowledge to not only be the best version of herself but also to be able to defend and keep herself safe, especially when we are no longer around.” Jim says pulling back slightly to look into her eyes and show he how serious and sincere he’s being.

“and well that’s also how I try to give myself comfort and how I remind myself that putting her in a bubble for the rest of our existence is not an option” he adds in a lighter manner with shinning eyes to make her smile.

“I don’t know … I still think a bubble could be a possibility… then again if I could just keep her in my belly forever, you know that would work too” she replies laughing mischievously.

“and here I thought I’d be the overprotective one – I whole heartedly disagree to the keeping her in your belly forever though, I demand a chance to protect her too, you can’t just keep her all to yourself” Jim laughed back.

They gaze into each other’s eyes as their laughter dies down and they’re so tempted to kiss. Except both of them know they’re not very good at slowing down once they get started, and this is definitely not the place or the time to get things started. They both moved apart Chris deciding to get up and head off – before she could get much further however Jim grabbed her wrist an pulled her back to stand between his legs as he was still sitting. He leaned forward and rested his forehead on her belly. Suddenly he started speaking – but this time he was directing it at her belly and not her.

“hey little one, this is your dad. I know today has been exciting for you and your mama in a lot of ways. The world is not perfect, but your mama and I are going to do everything in our power to ensure that you get a chance to be everything you want to be. You are our entire world already, and you’re not even here yet. Today we’re going to save someone who’s going to help us make the world you inherit even better and brighter for incredible little girls and strong women like you and your mama. We love you so much. Now please let your mama relax today, ok? this has been a hard day and she needs you to stay calm and safe so she can stay calm and safe too. I love you.” He finished as he placed a soft kiss on her belly.

Chris didn’t know when the tears began spilling or she had buried her fingers in his hair caressing his head as he spoke, but as he was finishing she gasped – she could swear she just felt a flutter or a movement of some sorts in her belly. Moving one of her hands to where she felt it right next to his face. The gasp and her movements had put Jim on alert as he moved back and looked up at her.

“what? What’s wrong?” Jim asked. Suddenly another flutter happened in the same place where his face had just been. Chris gasped again, but this time she grabbed his hand and moved it with hers to the spot where it had happened.

“I think she’s moving!.. can you feel it?” Chris finally said happily.

They both waited for a couple of minutes trying to see if it would happen again but it didn’t. finally Jim spoke up again “I couldn’t feel anything – I don’t think I can feel her yet” he said pouting as he looked up at Chris’ belly intently.

Chris moved one of her hand to fix his hair, as he had messed it up earlier and then bent over to place a soft kiss into his hair, whispering ‘I love you’ into it before pulling away.

Jim then stood up and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to bring her into his side.

“you should talk to the boyfriend, tell him what you just told me. If anyone can convince him that we’re on their side, its you.” He said in an encouraging manner. He then laid a kiss on her forehead and whispered ‘I love you’ before pulling away to let Chris go.

“ _gracias Amor”_ she said softly while looking into his eyes as she squeezed his forearm and turned to walk towards the door.

“babe – maybe don’t mention to Kareem the part about our baby – you know since that room records everything, and there are still a lot of people here who don’t know you’re pregnant” Jim called out right before she left.

Chris turned to him with an almost murderous glare that said ‘duh… did you seriously think I’m that stupid?’ which made him hold his hands up in surrender.

She then opened the door – turning around at the last second to give him an affectionate eye roll and wink. Leaving Jim chuckling.

It turns out Chris was the one that got Kareem to talk and soon after they were able to locate Amina and save her from her aunt and uncle. Chris could finally release a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding all day. When they got back to HQ – Chris found out that not only had they been able to save Amina, but that this whole situation had managed to force Amina’s government to release her five friends who were still imprisoned. Chris couldn’t believe it. As she finally felt the exhaustion of the day hit her Chris decided to sneak past Amina and Kareem to head back to the locker room. Suddenly she heard “officer Alonso?”

Making her turn around to see it was Amina who had called for her.

“Amina! Call me Chris! – did you hear about your friends?” Chris said as she stopped to talk to her.

“yes! Kareem just told me” Amina replied as she looked back over her should to her boyfriend who was now sitting on one of the benches.

“I guess you made the world hear you.” Chris smiled as Amina laughed slightly – not able to contain her joy.

“where will you go now?” Chris asked. Wondering what this all meant to Amina now that she had managed to free her friends and shine a spotlight on the human rights violations happening in her homeland.

“To D.C. with Kareem. I’m going to keep speaking up. And one day, maybe, when things change, I’ll return home.” Amina replied smiling but then she turned more serious. 

“officer Al – I mean Chris – thank you for everything you did for me today.” Amina said sincerely.

“oh – it was my pleasure to be able to help you in any way. But it’s you that deserves the thank you. The work that you’re doing is too important – thank you for your courage and your commitment to the fight for equality, the rights of women and for speaking out against the violation of human rights. Thank you for fighting to make the world a better place, not just for the women of today, but also for the women of the future. You’re changing the world – you are making a difference. You are a very strong woman, a role model and a changemaker” Chris replied.

“thank you for saying that. But you know you are pretty incredible yourself – I noticed you are the only woman in your team, and only one of very few in this building. You seem to be very strong, brave and courageous yourself – working in a male dominated profession but yet you are one of the best here. And on top of that you do all of this while pregnant. You show are also a very strong woman, a role model and a changemaker” Amina replied smiling.

“oh, wow um thank you! I don’t usually see myself in that light so It really means a lot to hear that from you…and man you must be really perceptive because yeah, I’m doing this while pregnant – although a lot of people here don’t know about it yet – and if I’m being honest the pregnancy itself scares me a lot more than all the things I see through this job. It’s really scary to bring a child into a world like the one we’re living in right now. That’s why knowing there are people like you out here making the world a better place gives me a bit of peace. Because the things I won’t be able to protect this child from will hopefully no longer be an issue by the time they’re able to understand them.” Chris shared sincerely.

Before Amina could reply Kareem had come over to them to let her know the must go now. Chris was about to say goodbye when Amina suddenly asked

“boy or girl?”

“we don’t know for sure yet – but I have this serious intuition that it’s a girl”

“I trust your intuition - mothers always know best when it comes to that. Congratulations! We need more strong women in this world, and I know you will raise one. She will be like us: a strong woman, a role model and a change maker!” Amina replied easily.

Chris felt speechless as she nodded and whispered a thanks and a goodbye- however before they left Amina said they should stay in touch so Chris gave her one of her business cards writing her personal phone number and email on it as well and gave it to her. Amina then asked for another card and her pen so she could write her information for Chris. Before they all headed their separate ways Amina hugged Chris and said maybe her an Kareem would come back for a visit someday to meet the baby making Chris smile and agree.

After parting with Amina, Chris headed off to the locker room – turning the corner into the hallway so fast she almost ran into Street who was heading in her direction.

Street quickly grabbed her by the shoulders to keep her from falling after they almost collided.

“oh hey, I was actually just going look for you! Ready to go home?” Jim asked

“oof, yeah – lets go home. I’m exhausted!” Chris said pulling back to go around street and get him to follow her to the locker room.

Both were too tired to care if anyone noticed that they left together on Chris’ truck. Street and Luca had driven in together that morning to keep up with appearances –it was really helpful to have Luca in on the secret now. It also helped to know Luca’s secret, because they knew they had the house to themselves tonight. Luca was had a date with Tuana, and Kelly was staying overnight at a friend’s house while they worked on a school project – so they would have the apartment to themselves.


	26. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> whaaat? a 26th chapter on the 26th?! 
> 
> haha i might be trying to drop some chapters - possibly one a day for this week - if time permits ( i got a lot of writing done this weekend) - when inspiration hits - it hits hard. someone come save my GPA from this haha

Before heading straight back to the house however Street & Chris needed to stop for groceries – now that they were spending so much time at Luca’s they’d noticed they needed to buy more food as they had to feed 3.5 now instead of just 2. Usually Jim and Chris would try to keep the nights they spent together at a minimum since she was still staying at Hondo’s place. It’s not like Hondo would actively check to see if she was there or ask her where she had spent the night, but she knew if she spent a lot of nights somewhere else, he was bound to get suspicious and that’s definitely not how they wanted him to find out about them. Jim got them to stop for dinner as well – knowing they were both too tired and hungry to try and make anything themselves that night.

Once they got ‘home’ and had gotten comfortable – they both decided to sit on the couch and do some baby prepping as they each took a book and started reading.

“hey! Did you know she’s around the size of an avocado right now?” Jim suddenly asked as he pulled her feet into his lap, wrapping his hand around her ankle.

“yes – this one says she’s the size of a pack of baby wipes! Do you remember how I thought I felt her move earlier?” Chris says looking up and smiling.

“yeah! I also remember not being able to feel it” Jim says looking to her and pouting a bit.

“well it turns out that for first-time pregnancies its harder to recognize this early on – but it does mean that she was basically having a party in there. – this book says that it’ll take a bit longer for it to be noticeable outside my belly so you might not be able to feel her for a few more weeks still – sorry” she said a little cheeky.

“no fair! I thought we agreed that sharing was caring. I want to feel her too” he says grumpily in his best toddler imitation as he crawls on top of her so he can lay on her belly – now both of them spread out on the couch. Chris giggling as her hand automatically goes to caress his hair.

“if it makes you feel better – I’m pretty sure it was your voice and the fact that you were speaking to her that got her all worked up this afternoon. I haven’t felt it since.” Chris says smiling lovingly at him.

“really?” he looks up at her, resting her chin on her belly now with the goofiest smile she had ever seen.

“really” she replies softly.

“wow” he says breathlessly.

Both of them taking in the moment and what this all means. It’s still easy for them to forget that there’s an entirely new human being growing inside of Chris. Although now that her belly is getting pretty hard to hide, the reminder of how much is about to change is ever more present. But still – its scary and wonderful to think that in 6 months their baby is going to be in their arms – no longer something they’ve been picturing or imagining but actually physically here.

After while Jim asks

“what are you thinking about?”

“you… me… this baby… so much to do, things we need to talk about – work through” Chris said suddenly being flooded by all the areas she still felt unprepared in.

“hey – we got this – now let’s just make a plan and start working through it. So, specifically – what are some things you think we need to do?” Jim replies trying to relax her as he begins drawing on her belly knowing that always got her to relax and distracted her from her stresses.

“ok – well first of all – we need space… like a physical space. Because right now neither one of us has somewhere where we can put the baby – you have a roommate – I don’t even have a permanent address - ” Chris rambled.

“kay well, that’s easy – because I’ve been thinking about that too. So…look I love you – you know I’m all in. And I know technically we’ve only been going out for 2 weeks but we’re best friends who have been in love with each other for years, so I don’t really feel like I’m rushing anything by saying that I think we should move in together. Because you’re right – neither of us currently have a place that’s our own, and well – this is Lucas house, and he is also in a serious relationship – one that also involves a child. And well Luca told me last night that he’s ready to take that next step with Tuana and Kelly… he wants them to move in. and well honestly that’s perfect timing because we also have a beautiful daughter that’s about to change our lives, and we definitely need to find a place we can call our own before she gets here. I’m not saying we need to buy a house just yet, but at least finding an apartment for our growing family seems like a good idea and a step in the right direction. What do you think?” Jim rambled – he tried to maintain eye contact even though he was a little scared she would reject him – he wasn’t sure he wanted to see her facial expression if that was the case. However once again Chris surprised him as she bent down while cupping his face to kiss him. the kiss was filled with emotion but it was not a hard kiss filled with passion, but rather soft and loving. Street pulled himself up to be on top of her as he deepened the kiss. He could never get enough of her. Once they pulled apart for air, Chris still cupping his face with both hands and now laying her forehead against his she whispered against his lips “yes!”

“yeah?” Jim whispered back trying to process what this meant. She seemed to understand as she said “let’s move in together” with a smile moving to close the gap between them again this time more fervently. The two shared slow kisses with slow hands roaming all over each other, but neither had the energy to take things further than that tonight. Later on when they Chris was cuddled almost completely on top of Jim who was laying on his back, Jim suddenly spoke.

“so – where do you want to move too ? I think we should get a place near a beach – I know it might suck commute wise – but just think about how rewarding it will be to be able to spend our time off teaching our little ninja to swim and surf, and just enjoy the ocean because we’re so close to it.” Jim said excitedly.

“our little _ninja_? I actually kind of love that nickname. and hmmm I don’t know – I love the beach too – but we do live in LA and you know any beach community that is a decent commute to our job is going to be expensive. And you know that having a baby is going to be expensive too, so that’s an extra cost we need to prepare for.” Chris replied trying to reason.

“that’s true but we’ll figure it out – and well Luca already got us into the food truck business so maybe that will pay off for us long term once it starts making profit, right?” Jim said moving his hand to play with her hair.

“yeah, that’s true” she said sleepily – too comfortable to move but also starting to drift into dreamland thanks to Jim’s caresses. Jim decided to broach another topic they had been avoiding – thinking now would be a good time since she was so relaxed and content – it also helped that if she wanted to avoid it she could just ignore it by pretending to be asleep and he wouldn’t mind it at all.

“so I’ve been thinking – “ Jim starts

“never a good sign” Chris teases.

“ – and I wanted to ask you - what would you think about us taking Buck out to dinner in Huntington Beach so we can tell him our news? I know that he used to be your boss so it might be a little weird, but he’s like the closest thing I got to a father… and honestly I think he’s the only family I really want to tell. You know? He’s only real family I have, and the only one that I want to be involved in our lives – and well in our daughter’s life.” Jim said cautiously. This made Chris shift so she could look up at him smiling softly.

“ I think that’s a great idea. You know I love you and if this is something that’s important to you then its important to me. And you know when Annie and I talked, she told me it takes a village to raise a child, and right now we’re supposed to be building that – so yes, if you want Buck to be a part of our village, then I’m completely ok with that. does this mean you want him to take the role of Grandpa? Cause honestly idk how he would take that haha we might make him feel old if we throw that term around” she teased and gave his hand a squeeze, intertwining their fingers.

“yeah he does seem to be the kind who would prefer to go by pops or something like that. ” Jim laughed.

“thank you for understanding. You know anything that’s important to you is important to me too. - Also what is this village you speak of, and have you already started building it without me? Shouldn’t this be a democracy? Or is it one of those ‘mom has the veto power’ type of situations?” Jim teased her back.

“it’s a democracy – for now – I might pull out the mom veto power card later though if you make any more dumb comments – and I haven’t built it yet but I do have an idea of who I want- and I’m pretty sure you’ll agree with all the choices.” She teased back

“oh yeah – well can I at least find out who’s on this short list?” Jim laughed.

“oh you know, the usuals – Deac, Annie, Hondo, Luca, Tan – Buck – my family – and well maybe some of the partners of our friends if they stick around – so Bonnie, Tuana, etc. otherwise I don’t know, but I figure that’s a pretty solid start, right?” Chris shared a bit more serious now. Street however did not miss how her voice changed when she said her family – he knew that she hadn’t mentioned anyone specifically because she had a fear that they would not accept her or the baby once they told them – she was scared that once the news got out she would no longer be able to count on them.

“yeah – the SWAT family is really _our_ family – but you know I love your family too, and I’m sure they’re going to love our daughter as much as they love you… I know you’re scared to tell them, but I don’t think we should wait too long either, because we don’t want her or them to miss out on being a part of this. I think we’re finally at that place where we can finally start letting ourselves enjoy this. We’re in love, and we’re having a baby and oh my god is time flying. I swear it’s like your bump is growing every day instead of every week at this point, and I just… I don’t want us to look back at this time and have any regrets because we didn’t let ourselves enjoy every single minute of this miracle that we got” Jim said passionately and if Chris didn’t know it already, this probably would’ve been the moment she realized – this is the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. Realizing he might think he made her upset if she didn’t answer soon Chris pulled herself up and on top of him so she could lean her forehead on his as she answered.

“how do you always say exactly what I need to hear and when I need to hear it?” Chris asked softly smiling at him.

“I don’t know” he smiled softly as he leaned up to brush his lips against her.

“well you do. And you’re right – we should tell my family soon – maybe we can make plans with them and with Buck for this weekend? You know – before things get crazier, or they end up finding out some other way – because you’re right we should be enjoying this and this little ninja is not gonna let herself be hidden any longer anyhow – I’m gonna have to request a bigger uniform pretty soon. “ Chris joked.

“yeah let’s reach out and make some plans – we have Friday and Saturday off so that could work! And I don’t know … I think you’re looking pretty great – but if a bigger uniform is going to make you more comfortable then you should put in that request.” Jim said kissing her cheek.

“Actually… since we’re talking about these things – I’ve been thinking about asking Hondo and Hicks if I can switch into a temporary light duty assignment within the next couple of weeks? I think it’s probably the safest choice…for all three of us if I make that change.” Chris started pulling back to look into his eyes, gaging his reaction.

“oh, really? Well I think that is a good idea but only if it’s what you want. so as long as you’re sure, then I’m sure too. You know I’ll support all your choice no matter what.” Jim said sincerely.

“Well today was really hard, and I don’t regret being in the middle of it because that’s where we thrive– but it’d be a lie if I said I wasn’t a little bit irresponsible during this case… I never mentioned this earlier because I didn’t want to freak you out, but I could’ve been shot this morning at the conference. One of the dudes who kidnapped Amina was using an automatic and he unloaded almost an entire clip at the wall where I was taking cover… I wasn’t even wearing a vest this morning. And well – honestly with all the equipment we carry and these changes my body is going through, I’m starting to get a little uncomfortable when we’re out in full tac gear.” Chris shared – she wasn’t sure how he was going to take things, and she had felt him tense up when she mentioned she’d been shot at so she expected him to have his freak out now.

“ok. well first of all – I’m glad you didn’t tell me earlier – because you’re right, I wouldn’t have handled that well. I – I never got this before, but I totally understand now why they don’t want cop couples to work together. I don’t think the Governor would be safe if it’d been me on that detail with you instead of Tan, because my instincts now are to always ensure you two are safe first, you know, before I do anything else. I never want to undermine you at work, and I’ve always thought of you as the most badass, capable woman I’ve ever met, but man this pregnancy is getting to me too. I know you’re not fragile or needing to be put in a bubble, but yeah sometimes I wish you wouldn’t throw yourself off a railing to land on a suspect or anything like that. I know you wouldn’t do that now with the baby, but I definitely get why now that we’re together it’s not ideal that we keep working together, because if anything happens to you – I don’t know what I’m gonna do or how I’m gonna handle it. Because _Christina Alonso_ **_you_** are my entire world. And well now you **_two_** now are my everything. But I will never force you to do something that you don’t want – so like I already told you - if this is your choice then I fully support it, but if you decide that you want to stay on active duty for a bit longer, then I’ll support that too and I’ll do my best to work through my fears and instincts so it won’t affect our work.” Jim told her. Leaning his forehead against hers and pulling her as close to him as he could.

Chris quickly reciprocated as she answered “you know, you’re not the only one with messed up instincts. That’s why I said it’ll probably be safer for us three, because every time you pull one of your heroic stunts my heart jumps to my throat and all I want is to grab on to you and drag you to safety. because if anything happens to _you_ – I don’t know what I’m gonna do or how I’m gonna handle it. I don’t think I could get through all of this on my own without you – so you better not do anything to leave me. Because _James Street **you**_ are also my entire world. And so is this baby, but I don’t know if her and I could get through this without you, because you are our everything.” Chris said tearing up as she kissed him, her hands cupping his face.

Deciding that was enough emotional turmoil for tonight, and both too exhausted to do much else they headed to bed. The next week passed fairly quickly – Hicks had been away at a conference until the weekend, so Chris decided to wait until the next Monday to talk to him about changing into light/modified duty – however she brought the idea up to Hondo the next time she saw him, wanting to get his opinion first. Hondo had agreed with her and told her he would support her when they brought it up with Hicks. She also called her uncle Sarzo and asked him if she could come over for his weekly BBQ that Friday and bring a friend. Thankfully he didn’t seem suspicious – he seemed excited to see her again as it’d been a while, and just asked that she bring some desert for everyone. Because they were still a secret, Chris had spent the rest of the week sleeping at Hondo’s and unfortunately their caseload had been bad enough that she had barely gotten a minute alone with him after that night. However their plans seemed to be up and running as Jim had texted her that Buck had agreed to meet on Saturday night, telling her he too didn’t seem to suspect anything.


	27. Family time + the Alonsos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oooh - this is a really cute chapter - i kinda love it ;) i thought about splitting it up since it is kinda long but I thought it'd be better if I just kept it together - so enjoy this little treat :)

They had Friday off and Uncle Sarzo’s BBQ wasn’t until 5pm so Chris had decided to sleep in. Hondo was off with Darryl and she was exhausted – Street had not been totally off when he’d joked that she was growing daily at this point. Most of her old clothes barely fit properly at this point and she’d been having trouble sleeping as she could not find a comfortable position without her favourite pillow there. She was not feeling great, especially with the added anxiety of having to face her family that day. Eventually after tossing and turning so more she finally gave up on trying to get any additional shut eye and decided to try to find something to wear. Of course, today of all days insecurities about her changing body decided to creep in. none of her old pants closed, shirts that used to be her favourite now just made her look weird. And the maternity clothes she’d bought were at Street’s place – of course. He seemed to sense her mood as her phone buzzed a second later.

_10:07am_

Street: Good Morning Beautiful <3

Street: I was thinking about picking you up – maybe we can go do something before we head to your uncle’s place? Also I’m kind of already in front of Hondo’s. J

Despite the sour mood she was currently in, Chris slipped back on the shirt she’d been sleeping in (one of street’s) and headed out of her room to greet him. she opened the door to find him leaning against the frame with a bouquet of flowers and goofy smile.

“Good morning beautiful” Jim said leaning in to steal a kiss then pushing her in while he closed the door behind them with his foot.

“hey” she said breathless once she pulled back.

“hi” he replied softly.

“are these for me?” she smiled as she took the flowers still in his hand.

“yup” he smiled cheekily leaning his forehead on hers.

“have I ever mentioned that you are breathtakingly gorgeous?… because if I haven’t then that’s a crime. And you should probably arrest me immediately.” Jim continued seductively as he moved to kiss down her jawline to her neck. However Chris sniffled which made him look up.

“is everything ok? did I do or say something wrong?” Jim asked concerned as he saw a tear run down her cheek which he quickly wiped with his thumb.

“I- its nothing… I’ve just been feeling kind of gross and insecure today. Nothing I like fits anymore, so I can’t find anything to wear and no matter what I wear, it’s not like I can hide this bump in any civilian clothing at this point, and well that’s kind of freaking me out even more about tonight.” Chris finally says sniffling.

Street pulls her into him and says “oh man and your new maternity clothes are at Luca’s aren’t they?”

“yup” Chris says as she cries into his chest.  
“well this just won’t do then. But I think I know exactly what we’re going to do today!” Jim exclaimed as he tried to drag her to ‘her’ room.

“ _babe_ , I love you – but you’re crazy if you think we are having sex right now or here, so I hope that’s not your brilliant plan” Chris exclaimed not moving despite Jim trying to pull her.

“haha no, don’t worry – I’m not that thick – I just want you to get dressed. Just pick something to feel comfortable in and that you would be ok being out in at least for a little bit.” Jim said a they walked to her room.

“but I already told you, nothing looks good!” Chris wined.

“I know, and I heard you – but I’m not asking you to pick something that looks good, just something you can be comfortable in, ok? just trust me” Jim pleaded as he sat down on the bed while she walked to the closet to see what she could find. Eventually it ended up being a button up top that still kind of fit her and some leggings that stretched enough to cover her belly. Chris had taken a moment to look at herself and admire her bump in front of the floor length mirror she had in the room. Jim had a huge smile on his face seeing her. He snuck out his phone to snap a picture, not wanting to forget this moment. Then he stood up and hugged her from behind, leaning his head on her shoulder as he cradled her bump.

“you look great – ready to go?” he smiled as he snuck a kiss to her neck. Chris smiled and put her hands on top of his.  
“I guess. Let’s just get out of here before I change my mind again” Chris replied laughing slightly and pulling him with her so they could leave. They made sure to leave the flowers he had gotten her in a vase they found which they put in ‘her’ room – not needing Hondo to question why there were flowers in his kitchen.

Despite her attempts at getting him to share, Street would not tell her where they were going. He had borrowed Luca’s truck that day since he planned on picking Chris up and his motorcycle was definitely not the best ride choice for them anymore. He knew he might have to give it up eventually, but he wasn’t ready to think about that just yet.

Eventually he pulled into a mall, dragging Chris with him when she looked at him incredulously.

“seriously?” she asks.

“you said you hated your clothes, and the maternity clothes we got last time are going to look great on you later on but I want you to feel happy and confident in what you wear so we’re going to go in there and find you at least two outfits that help you see yourself as the beautiful, radian, incredibly hot woman as I see.” He smiled at her as he pulled her along.

. . .

Chris didn’t want to admit it but Street had been right, she did look awesome – she just needed the right clothes to showcase it. They ended up buying more than a couple of outfits, as Chris found herself falling in love with a few jumpsuits and rompers. Jim didn’t seem to mind and offered his opinions on everything she showed him.

He also got very excited when he discovered the Halloween selection in the maternity aisle. Halloween had been the night before but most people would be celebrating this weekend, meaning he was convinced that she had to get one of those costumes. Eventually Chris caved and bought two t-shirts. One that was orange with black letters that said ‘ _my costume this year is “exhausted, pregnant chick” how does it look?_ ’ and the other a black t-shirt with a baby wonder woman drawn over the bump. Street loved both – and convinced her to bring them to the BBQ so she could showcase them if her nieces and nephews had decided to dress up. Chris had rolled her eyes affectionately but agreed to his idea.

For the BBQ she’d chosen a navy blue, button up high waisted jumpsuit that tied up at the front just under her breasts, the pant part ending just above her ankle and some white sneakers. Street had also taken her to the make-up counter and the hair salon at the mall so they could doll her up and boost her confidence even further. The did some light brown eye shadow with a subtle peachy pink lip colour. Her hair had been made to look wavy and a styled type of messy. Jim thought she looked breath taking, unable to keep his hands off of her as they went to find some food before leaving the mall – it was already 1pm and she was getting hangry. Being able to move around freely and be couple-y was always one of their favourite things. They got burgers and milkshakes at a small diner at the other end of the mall. Finally they decided they better head out as it was already 2:30pm and they had to stop at Hondo’s to drop her new clothes off, they also had to stop somewhere to buy dessert before they finally headed off to the BBQ. As they were walking out however Chris spotted a maternity pillow on a store that was close to their exit, so she dragged Street with her so she could go inside to inspect it.

“oh – what’s up?” Jim said noticing she had changed directions.

“Come on, I think I really need one of these.” Chris said as she pointed at the storefront display where the pillow was.

“for what?” Street asked dumbly.

“to sleep! – it’s supposed to offer my back and belly support so I can get some decent sleep since I need to lay on my side – apparently sleeping on my back or stomach is not safe. And well it’s all just super uncomfortable now– and I’m guessing that’s going to get worse as I get bigger.”

“but if you cuddle that then who’s gonna cuddle me” Jim wined jokingly.

“hey- you did this to yourself, plus I will still cuddle you when we sleep together, but we don’t do that every night, and this week alone has definitely proven that this pillow is needed.” Chris told him. eventually they settled on one that both of them liked and that she’d be able to use even when they shared a bed if that became necessary. Jim had also completely changed his opinion on the pillows as she saw him trying all of them and having a hard time leaving them because they were so comfortable.

“don’t you dare” Chris told him when she saw him eying the pillow he bought for her.

“but what if my back hurts too, I mean why can’t I use it when you don’t need it?” Jim asked pouting.

“because its mine” she teased laughing and stuck her tongue out at him.

“ugh fine – but I’m definitely gonna steal it when you’re not pregnant anymore” he compromised.

“ugh ok – that’s fair” Chris conceded.

Thankfully their small detour did not take up too much time and they made it to Hondo’s before 3:30pm. Chris was ready to go, only adding her favourite leather jacket to her ensemble but it turned out that Street had planned a second outfit to change into for the BBQ. She could tell he was nervous too and seeing him walk out in a nice pair of jeans with a light blue long sleeved button up, his usual leather jacket and some black combat boots made her smile. He looked so hot – man was she lucky or what? She had noticed the looks they got at the mall, and honestly she had to agree. They were one hot couple – their kid was going to be drop-dead gorgeous.

“haha – guess we couldn’t have planned our outfits to match like this, if we tried huh?” Chris said as she got up to wrap her arms around his neck. Street laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist and bringing her into his chest.

“yeah, huh? Haha if this doesn’t scream _couple_ then I don’t know what does” he said dropping a kiss on her right cheek, then her left cheek, her nose and finally on her lips. Chris quickly deepening the kiss until Street suddenly pulled back making her groan softly.

“guess we better get going huh?” Street teased dropping one last kiss on her lips before finally pulling completely away and dragging her by her right hand.

“ugh – tease“ she grumbled back.

“hey you’re the one who said I was crazy if I thought we were going to have sex here today – I’m just respecting the rules you made” Street joked as they got into Luca’s truck and headed off to the BBQ.

Despite being extremely nervous and wanting to rely on each other, Chris and Street agreed that she should head in first while he found a place to park. It would give her a little bit of time to talk to her family before the inquisition began. That being said, Chris spent the majority of her walk towards the house internally cursing their plan as she was so nervous – her hands were shaking like crazy, making it difficult to ensure the dessert didn’t fall before she even got to the door. Street had decided they should use the fact that they had to bring dessert to their advantage, so they had gotten two things – one was a tiramisu - the normal simple dessert she was currently carrying. Street would be bringing in the second one – a box of decorated onesie shaped cookies that said _“Coming soon April 2020”_ with little foot prints drawn underneath– Chris had also gotten the lady at the bakery to add the ultrasound picture to the inside of the lid of the box – writing _“SURPRISE!”_ Right above it so that when they opened it the would see it. Chris had a small suspicion that Street had planned and pre-ordered these because there was no way they could’ve gotten such a nice, high end, elegant presentation of their announcement in a whim like he was pretending they did. 

She finally managed to ring the doorbell waiting for her aunt or uncle to open.

“Chris you made it!” her uncle greeted when he saw her reaching to pull her into an awkward hug since she was still holding the tiramisu. In a way it was the perfect cover – because it kept her bump hidden for a bit longer.

“hey uncle Sarzo! How’s it going?” she said smiling.

“I’m great _mija_ , come in! come in! everyone’s in the backyard.” He said as he ushered her in.

“oh ok – well this needs to be refrigerated so I’m just gonna go put it in the kitchen” Chris mentioned trying to distract her uncle with her detour so she could avoid the family for a little bit longer while she figured out how to act normal around them – because they were all very perceptive! Specially her Tia Elena, Sarzo’s wife.

“oh let me take it, don’t worry about it! And where’s this friend you said you were gonna bring?” Sarzo says as he reaches to take the tiramisu from her. Thankfully the doorbell rings before he’s gotten it saving her from doing anything other than say “actually that’s probably him” she said smiling softly as her uncle headed towards to door to open it. And true to her word, an awkward street stood in front of the doorway holding dessert in one hand while the other rubbed the back of his neck.

“Jim! I didn’t know you were the one that was coming!” Sarzo said surprised but quickly letting him in.

“hey Sarzo, how are you doing?” Jim answered smoothly avoiding having to respond to Sarzo’s statement.

“I’m doing good! It’s been too long, how’s Luca and that house you two are sharing?” Sarzo laughed as he they walked towards where Chris still stood frozen.

“He’s good, and the house is pretty good, you know we’re actually getting a lot of compliments, and some people in the neighbourhood we’ve befriended have even asked us for your info because they’re thinking of remodelling their own places!”

“ooh that’s great _mijo_ , go ahead and send them my way” Sarzo laughs as he gives Jim a pat on the back. He catches Jim off guard slightly which makes him shake the cookie box slightly drawing Sarzo’s attention to it.

“so did you two not talk before hand and plan so we wouldn’t have two desserts?” Sarzo teased them as they had finally reached Chris.

“oh no these were just a special extra treat we wanted to bring for later. the real dessert is in Chris’ hands” Jim said as nonchalantly as he could, not wanting to give anything away just yet.

“special treat, huh? Think I can sneak one now? I promise I won’t tell anyone” Sarzo joked reaching for the cookies. But it seemed like God and the universe were on their side that day because right at that moment Elena ran in to see what was taking Sarzo so long and to let him know that the food on the BBQ was starting to get burned.

“guess I’m gonna have to wait like everyone else” Sarzo joked as he ran out with Elena leaving Jim & Chris alone in the hallway. A second later they both let out a breath they didn’t know they’d been holding.

“man this is more stressful than I thought it would be” Jim says as he follows Chris to the kitchen.

“you’re telling me? I was ready to wrestle him for the tiramisu when you came in so that I could have an extra moment with it shielding this bump.” Chris grumbled – quickly opening the fridge and making space for the tiramisu.

“where should we hide the cookies?” Jim asked.

“somewhere high and out of reach for the kids… and honestly my uncle, I wouldn’t put it past him to come in here when nobody’s watching just to steal one.” Chris laughed.

“haha, ok well how about at the top of the pantry behind those cereal boxes” Jim said pointing as he reached up to start moving things around.

“yeah that’s good!” Chris replied as she moved to stand behind him – laying her hand on his lower back to offer some support as he reached up to put them. After hiding them really well Street turned now facing Chris and they both shared soft excited smiles and were starting to lean in when they heard someone ask in a small voice.

“what are you doing in here?”

Chris immediately recognized that voice as Daniela, her 10 year old niece who was standing at the entrance to the pantry.

“Hola _Chiquita,_ we were just trying to find something uncle Sarzo asked us for! what are you doing here?” Chris asked as she turned around. Suddenly Daniela was running at her at full speed, thankfully Chris was able to bend over a bit before she crashed into her hugging her tightly.

“Auntie Chris! I didn’t know you were coming today! I’ve missed you so much! Where have you been?” Daniela rambled.

“oh I’ve just been working really hard, you know catching all those bad guys! But I’ve missed you so much! How’s school going?” Chris unconsciously straightened up while still hugging Daniela to get a good look at her. Man was it the pregnancy and new mom brain, or had Daniela grow a ton over the past few months Chris hadn’t seen her? She swore the girl looked a lot older than the last time they’d hung out.

“school has been good! Did I tell you about that I’m competing in the science fair for my district? My teacher said the winner gets to attend the UCLA’s young scientists summer camp next summer!” Daniella shared excitedly, and apparently still oblivious to the obvious bump she was currently laying her chin on.

“that’s pretty cool!” Jim suddenly said bringing Daniela’s attention to him.

“Jim-Jim! You’re here too!” Daniela exclaimed finally spotting him. soon she had extricated herself from Chris’ arms so she could launch herself at her _Jim-Jim_. Chris had totally forgotten about that nickname, but she was definitely gonna tease him about it later.

“heey oof – is it me, or are you growing like crazy fast?” Jim joked as he picked her up.

“it’s probably just because you don’t come visit enough! I probably grew since the last time you saw me” Daniela told him.

“that’s probably true! I’ve missed you kiddo” Jim told her as he messed her hair up.

“I guess I’ve missed you too” she laughed and jumped out of his arms. She then grabbed both of their hands and said “come on! I’m hungry and uncle Sarzo was already starting to serve dinner when I came in here!” pulling them towards the backyard.

Thanks to the fact that they came out right when dinner was being served, Chris and Street got to avoid a lot of the one-on-one convos with her family, and they managed to quicky find seats at one of the tables which provided the advantage of hiding her belly from whoever was talking to her. almost all of her family was here – well she guessed today would be a go big or go home situation – given that they would definitely be seeing everyone’s reactions to their new this evening. Deciding they didn’t really have a reason to hide their relationship here – especially with the news they were about to drop, they’d both started to get more comfortable and in each other’s personal space as the night went on. Street would wrap an arm around the back of her chair, Chris would lean back into him, they’d hold hands under the table, or one of them would put a hand on the other’s thighs – never spending a single moment away from each other. She knew her family had noticed – she’d caught her Tia Elena giving them a sideways look, softly smiling to herself. Uncle Sarzo had raised his eyebrows at her at one point when she had leaned over to lay her head on Jim’s shoulder. She pretended she hadn’t noticed he’d been looking at her or the look he’d sent her way. A little while after everyone had finished eating, someone shouted “where’s the dessert?” waking Jim & Chris out of their oblivious Bliss, and the random conversation they were currently having with her cousin and her husband.

“Jim & Chris brought it but it’s in the kitchen – I’ll go get it” Sarzo said as he headed back with Elena in tow. Chris didn’t get a chance to say her and Jim could get it, instead she decided to quickly get up and drag street with her by the hand. In the hurry of things Chris forgot that she’d taken her jacket off. Thankfully everyone was more focused on the fact that they were holding hands to notice her bump – both moving too quickly for anyone to register it in the first place. Once they got into the kitchen Elena and Sarzo were already opening up the tiramisu to serve it – Jim also noticed Chris now more noticeable form, so he quickly stood in front of her. Quickly coming up with a solution, Street said “hey why don’t we let Chris cut the tiramisu since she’s the expert, while we bring the desert out?” thankfully her aunt and uncle agreed, neither ever having to cut a tiramisu like that before, and moving to find utensils and plates, giving Chris the perfect opportunity to sneak past them and stand behind the counter to cut the tiramisu away from their line of sight. Everything went smoothly from there, her aunt and uncle taking the first couple of trays while Jim took the last one… before he left however, he went into the pantry and brought down the cookies, placing them in front of her. He grabbed his tray starting to walk away before turning and seeing her still standing behind the counter frozen. “come on _mama_ ” he said making her look up, he sent her a wink and motioned with his head that they should head out.

Chris smiled grabbing the cookies and following him out.

While street went around to give the tiramisu to everyone that still didn’t have any Chris slowly moved towards the table her tia Elena, Uncle Sarzo and cousin Thomas were now sitting at. Thankfully they still hadn’t noticed, and she managed to make it there at the same time as Street. She softly put the box in front of the aunt and uncle catching their attention.

“what’s this?” Tia Elena asked. Chris didn’t know what to say, but thankfully Jim did.

“open it” he said while moving to grab Chris’ hand.

Chris swore everything in this moment then happened in slow motion. Her aunt looking at Chris confused but her only being able to send a smile and a small nod. Her uncle not wanting to wait any longer so he moved to open it himself. Suddenly freezing when he saw the contents. Elena confused at his reaction – pulling the box towards her to open it completely and seeing what was on the lid – now also freezing. Thomas being even more confused from seeing his parents react like that, and needing to know what was in it, so he leaned into his mom to look over her shoulder. Eyes getting wide as he took in what was in the box and the lid. 

“are you serious?!” he then exclaimed turning to look at Chris then Street. Chris finally released the breath she’d been holding.

“yeah” she finally answered softly smiling at her cousin who quickly got up to wrap her and Street in a hug.

“man I always knew you two were gonna end up together!” Thomas whispered while he hugged them making them chuckle and finally pulling away.

“good to know I wasn’t the only one” Jim joked back while Chris stuck her tongue out at him.

“hey! We’re here aren’t we? pretty sure that means I knew it too” Chris said indignantly but Jim just wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side.

“I love you too” he whispered into her ear.

Finally Uncle Sarzo spoke up .

“is this for reals mija? I didn’t even know you and Jim were together” he said – sounding more confused than angry.

“it is. It took us a little while to figure it out… figure us out. But it’s for real, and so is this little girl” Chris smiled moving her to caress her bump now drawing attention to the very real and physical proof of this surprise they had just dropped on them.

“it’s a girl?” said her Tia Elena now finally joining the conversation.

“well we don’t know for sure. But Chris has had the intuition that it’s a girl ever since we found out.” Jim tells her. Finally before either of them can start thinking of the worst, Uncle sarzo gets up and pulls Jim into a hug while tia Elena does the same with Chris.

“welcome to the family _mijo_!” uncle Sarzo tell him as he hugs him tightly.

“I always thought you and Chris were good for each other, and I’m happy to see that’s still true. But you know she’s basically my daughter – so if you ever hurt her, or my _grandbaby_ then we’re going to have more than words.” Sarzo tells him seriously.

“I’m in love with your daughter, she and our baby are my entire world and I have no plan to hurt her or our baby. But if I ever do then you have every right to put me in my place. Because they deserve the best, whether that’s me or someone else” Street told him sincerely.

“you’re a good man Jim. I’m sure it’ll never get there.” Sarzo says smiling at him and moving to hug Chris now Elena has also moved away. Elena then moved to hug Jim.

Chris was overwhelmed to say the least. Her aunt had hugged her and told her she loved her so much and she was so excited to become a grandma. Of course she then asked when Street and her were planning to get married. Having previously decided that they wouldn’t go into the details of their relationship, Chris replied with honesty “we want to wait – so it probably won’t happen until after the baby is born and we’ve gotten settled. I don’t want to get married while being super pregnant. I’m already stressed enough with preparing to bring this baby into the world, the last thing I need is to add the stress of wedding planning to that mess. We’ll do it when we’re ready”. She didn’t count on Elena sharing that answer with Street however – something she only found out while they drove back to Luca’s house.

“so that went well huh?” Jim casually asked as he squeezed her thigh, while she laid her head on his shoulder – a perk of Luca’s older truck was the lack of space between the driver and the passenger.

“yeah, definitely better than what I expected” Chris laughed.

“so what was your favourite part from tonight?” Jim asked

“probably when Daniela found out and screamed **_‘so that’s why you’re getting fat!_** ’. That really made me laugh. You know I was honestly really surprised that she hadn’t mentioned the bump after we hugged in the pantry – so I asked her just before we left and she just looked me in the eye and said ‘ _oh auntie I didn’t want you make you feel bad. You and my mom always say it’s not nice to critique people’s bodies because it hurts their feelings, and so I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings by saying that your belly got bigger’_ I swear I almost started sobbing when she told me that. if our kid is even half as kind as Daniela is, then I’ll know we’ve done a good job.” Chris tells him. 

“haha yeah, that kid is amazing. And I totally agree – I can’t wait to see her interact with our daughter – I think they’re going to be best friends, and it’s nice to know that she’ll always have Daniela around to be her big sister in a way.” Jim replied

“awe I love that. I’m sure she’ll want to come over all the time to play with the baby… and her _Jim-Jim_ ” Chris laughed.

“what can I say? kids love me” he joked back.

“not just kids” she turned and whispered into his shoulder. He squeezed her thigh in response.

They both went into a comfortable silence for a few minutes.

“so what was _your_ favourite moment from tonight?” Chris asked bringing back the conversation.

“probably when Elena came over to hug me after we told her the news. She said she couldn’t wait until the baby was here… and of course the wedding that we hopefully wouldn’t wait too long afterwards to have. you know she seemed pretty ok with us not getting married before the baby’s born. It probably helped her to know you are under a lot of stress with the pregnancy so you know the stress of wedding planning is not something we would want added to that mess.” He said softly. Chris suddenly froze. They had talked about forever and she had internally accepted that she wanted to marry him, however the topic of marriage had never been brought up in conversation this openly before. Jim decided to keep talking when he realized she was probably starting to freak out.

“you know, I kind of can’t wait either for that either. Cause if there’s one thing I know for certain is that _you_ are going to make a beautiful bride someday. And I plan to be the one who is standing on the other side of that aisle.” He says sincerely. Making Chris shift to look at him.

“was that a marriage proposal?” Chris said as she pulled back to look at him intently trying to seem nonchalant as she internally freaked – it was a happy freak out though.

“oh don’t wound me like that, you know I’m way more romantic than that. But to answer your question – no, that was not a marriage proposal. At least not yet. That was a promise and a plan – and trust me when I tell you that you won’t have any doubt it’s a proposal the day I ask for real.” Jim replied throwing a wink in her direction.

Not knowing how to reply to that Chris just leaned back into him smiling into his shoulder, dropping a few lazy kisses on his neck. He grabbed her hand and interlaced their fingers while her brought it up to drop a kiss on them.

They stayed in a comfortable silence after that until they arrived at Luca’s place. Chris had been prepared this time and brought an overnight bag so she could wear another one of her new outfits the next day to meet Buck for dinner.

While Street got ready for bed, Chris just laid on his (their) bed already changed watching him. She was starting to drift off when her phone began chiming non-stop – suddenly blowing up with text messages from her cousin Marina who had taken some pictures of them. There were a few candid shots of her with Street lounging in the deck chairs, some cute shots of Chris by herself showing off her bump while wearing her Halloween costume T-shirts (Street had convinced her to show off both, which had elicited a lot of excitement from everyone at the party). There were also a couple of her with Street posing with the bump Halloween shirts and all – street holding up whichever one she was not wearing. As well as some group shots of all the kids dressed up and surrounding and hugging Chris’ belly (Marina had captioned those ‘ _baby Alonso-Street’s first Halloween with all her cousins’_ ). Chris couldn’t help the tears and wide smile that graced her face as she scrolled through the pictures – she was so concentrated she didn’t notice Street laying down next to her and looking over her shoulder to see what was making her so emotional.

“are those the pictures we took today?” Street finally asked leaning his chin on her shoulder.

“yeah…wanna see?” She asked him, passing her phone to him.

Jim seemed to share a similar reaction, suddenly tearing up himself but trying to maintain his composure.

“wow – you look amazing. Send these to me – please” was all he managed to say after seeing the last one. 

“yeah - they’re pretty great. and ok, I will” Chris laughed. But suddenly she had a thought.

“so… you know that whole thing we said about enjoying all of this and loving every moment? – well I was thinking that after we tell Buck tomorrow… and you know I switch to a light duty in the next couple of weeks… that you know – maybe we can start being more open about all of this. Kind of start sharing it with the world – type of thing –what do you think?” Chris asks him.

“by _this_ – do you mean the pregnancy or the us being a couple thing? Because I’m ok with either, or you know both. Like I’ve said from the start – you just take the lead and I’ll follow.”

“ I mean both – I’m tired of having to hide us and I’m so excited for this baby that I want everyone to know it. You know everything you said last night was true. We’re completely in love and we’re bringing a human being into this world – and I’m so ready to start celebrating that openly. I never want anyone to think that I’m ashamed or trying to hide either of you away when you’re the two things I’m most proud of.” Chris tells him honestly turning to cuddle him, laying a kiss on his chest before looking up at him again.

“well, honestly I feel exactly the same. So does this mean we’re going to become like Instagram official?” Jim joked as he wiggled his eyebrows. Chris however blushed a little embarrassed as she said.

“well… yeah maybe? I mean – those pictures are super cute – it’d be kind of cruel to keep from the rest of the world, you know?” she said sheepishly. Jim chuckled moving to fully lay down and bringing her closer to him.  
“you’re right, it’d be totally cruel. So cruel that we should probably both share them – you know – to ensure that everyone sees them” he whispered back half-joking, half-serious. Both slowly drifting off to sleep quickly after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t-shirt that says ~ my costume this year is “exhausted, pregnant chick” how does it look~  
> https://www.pinterest.ie/pin/24206916737209199/
> 
> black t-shirt with a baby wonder woman drawn over the bump
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Colour-Fashion-Maternity-Wonder-Superhero/dp/B01FSFMI2E
> 
> Navy blue jumpsuit that Chris wears to the BBQ:
> 
> https://ca.shein.com/Maternity-Single-Breasted-Tie-Front-Shirt-Jumpsuit-p-1944447-cat-2375.html?scici=navbar_WomenHomePage~~tab01navbar01menu05~~1_5~~itemPicking_00222500~~~~0~~50001


	28. surprises

Going to dinner with Buck was a little less stressful for them thankfully – they spent the majority of their day off lounging around, reading the baby books they’d bought and starting their search for an apartment. Luca came had gone out before they woke up so they didn’t see him until a little past 1pm. They ate lunch together and they ended up showing him the pictures Marina had taken at the BBQ – they also told him about Chris’ decision to switch to light/modified duty within the next two weeks. Luca was sad it was happening so soon, but he also agreed it was the right choice.

Their dinner with Buck that night went great – neither of them ever explicitly shared that they were together, but they didn’t hid it either and Buck didn’t make any comments either. For the pregnancy reveal Chris had made a plan of her own this time and gotten a special fortune cookie, with a fortune that said _“Surprise! we’re pregnant”_ on the front of the slip and _“coming soon – April 2020”_ on the back.

They had just finished eating when Chris looked at Street and squeezed his thigh then pulled the cookie out of her purse and passed it to him under the table. Although he was initially confused, he quickly caught on to her plan when she winked and nodded her head towards Buck.

Buck thankfully none the wiser to the unspoken conversation that was happening between them was surprised when Jim suddenly spoke up.

“hey – so we got you something” Street said while passing the fortune cookie towards him.

Buck looked at both of them curiously before taking it and saying “thanks? I guess haha” looking amused at the small cookie.

“open it” Chris urged – amused as well but getting slightly impatient.

“o-k” Buck replied still not getting the point of all this but doing what she said. The slip falling on the table upside down so the first thing he saw was _“coming soon – April 2020”_ –

“I don’t get it –“ but said moving to examine the slip closely – finally turning it around.

“oh – wow! You’re having a baby?” Buck said finally looking up at them excitedly – eyes full of pride.

“yeah” Street replied softly – with a big goofy smile gracing his face.

“wait there’s one more thing!” Chris said confusing both men as they turned to look at her while she pulled out a small bag from her purse and handing it to Buck. Nobody spoke as Buck opened the bag and pulled out what was inside.

A small white onesie that said _“so should I call you grandpa, pops, gramps or papa?”._

Buck suddenly teared up turning it around so both of them could see it as he said “are you serious?”

“yeah” Street said smiling widely and squeezing Chris’ thigh in thanks because all these gifts had been a surprise for him too.

The three kept talking and catching Buck up on a lot of what had happened since they had last seen him. before they parted that night he hugged them both and said “man I should have seen the possibility of _this_ sooner – maybe I’d have more grandbabies that way” He joked gesturing to the two. They all laughed and separated to head to their cars.

After they got into the car, Jim asked “what do you think what Buck said about how he should’ve introduced us to each other earlier?”  
“ I don’t know – I kind of like how it all worked out in the end. I don’t think pre-metro SWAT Street could’ve handled this” Chris joking replied.

“I don’t know – I think either way I would’ve grown up – especially if it meant I got a chance to be with you” Street replied.

“ugh you’re so cheesy” Chris joked poking at his arm but letting him pull her into his side.

“maybe – but you love me anyways” Jim joked back.

“yeah, that’s true” she said and kissed the corner of his mouth as they started their drive back.

A couple of days later Chris met with Hicks and Hondo before the start of their next shift to discuss her move temporarily to light duty for the remainder of her pregnancy . They all agreed that it would be a great move and that this week’s case would be her last on active duty – at least until after the baby. Hondo then gave her the opportunity to break the news to the rest of the team before he briefed them on their next case. Deac and Tan were surprised but understanding, both a bit relieved knowing they were starting to feel over protective over her on the field, which was not a good thing specially with the kind of work they did. Jim and Chris began feeling nostalgic – as they realized this would be the last case they would work together with the team. They knew this was eventually going to happen and one of them would have to transfer to another squad, but it that still didn’t stop them from trying to savour every moment they had left. For this case were after a robbery crew that shot a security guard. A couple of days passed before they found out what the crew’s true target was – they were going to try to break into the vault of the LA speedway to steal the 4 million dollar cash price for the dash for cash race. Since it was Chris’ last case for a while, Hondo let her be the first one to take out their new corner shot riffle which made her pretty giddy given that she’d been wanting to try it ever since they heard about it. Mere moments after they arrived on scene an explosion went off in the pit –leading the crowd to panic. Hondo sent Chris with Deac and decker to the cash room, telling her to use the corner shot riffle to take out the security cameras so the robbers wouldn’t see them coming on the monitors. He took Street and Tan with him to go cover the other exit so from the cash room area so nobody would get away. The crew however had come prepared, using explosives to open up another exit route for themselves, and not afraid to shoot back at the police if it meant a clean getaway. Thankfully they were able to get all the suspects without anyone getting seriously hurt.

Chris had gotten a ride from Hondo that morning and Street had gone to work on his motorcycle, but somehow they convinced each other that it’d be ok for them to ride off from work on it – an almost symbolic way of celebrating her last day out in the middle of the danger – one last shot of adrenaline for now. This time they did notice a couple of looks from their coworkers as Chris got on behind him but they decided – that was next week’s problem, as it was Saturday and they had Sunday and Monday off – as Street quickly drove away. As they got on the freeway, Chris realized that she’d never been on Jim’s bike before. It was kind of exhilarating, and having to hold on to him tightly was pretty great too. Chris tried to look around at first but started to get dizzy so she decided to lay her head on his back instead and close her eyes – the last thing she needed was to throw up inside this helmet. Suddenly the bike came to a stop and Jim turned to check on her.

“hey, you ok?” he asked gently after removing his helmet.

“yeah, I’m good. Are we home?” she said sleepily finally lifting her head up and removing her helmet.

“not exactly” he said with a mischievous smile as he tilted his head towards the side. Chris finally took a look around and saw that they were in a very nice residential area she had never been to before. Street had parked in front of a beautiful white and blue single storey detached house with a stone pathway and an attached garage.

“where are we?” Chris finally said as she felt completely disoriented.

“um…so I had this buddy called Martin Daniels back in long beach from my academy days who was super smart – you know, really into all that new tech innovation and completely fearless. So a couple of years after we graduated from the academy he decided to apply for this moonlight gig, working at some up and coming tech company as a test driver and security expert – you know because of his background. Turns out that they really liked his work and they decided to promote him to their chief of security and protection. So he quit his patrol gig with the LBPD and well with all the money he’d been making he decided to buy his mom a new house, this one to be exact” Jim says pointing to the house they were parked in front of. Chris nodding but still not understanding what this all meant – still she didn’t interrupt – wanting to listen to the whole story.

“so anyways, the job he got was in Palo Alto and he met his wife at the company, they actually got married a year ago, and you know we try to keep in touch. So it turns out that not only has he been promoted again, but he’s also expecting now –his wife is six months pregnant. And well her family lives pretty far, out in the east coast, and you know Daniel’s mom is also getting older so last month they decided it’d be better if she moved out to Palo Alto too – so that way she could be there for them and the baby, and also they wouldn’t have to worry about her being here all by herself. ” Jim continued in a hinting tone but Chris still seemed pretty lost – so he decided to continue.

“so anyways, since we said the other night that we were ready to start sharing our news, I decided to tell him the other day when we were texting. And well we got to talking and I mentioned how we’ve been looking for a place and well he just said that he’d actually been thinking about what to do with his mother’s house here, now that she’s moved there. She doesn’t want to sell it just yet, but he’d been thinking they could at least rent it – not because they have a mortgage on it left or anything, but he just thought it’d be a nice way to get his mom some disposable income. So he said that you know he hadn’t listed it yet or talked to a realtor, but he just asked if we wanted to check it out and see if we could just work something out on our own – he said he preferred leaving it with someone he knew and trusted anyways”

Jim finally finished – getting off the bike and offering her a hand. Chris was frozen – still trying to process what he was saying.

“so, what do you say? Want to check this house out with me?” he asked her waggling his eyebrows trying to make her laugh. Chris finally snapped out of it.

“are you serious?! – this better not be a joke – or I swear I’m never talking to you again” Chris exclaimed as she grabbed his hand and jumped off the bike.

“extremely serious. Scouts honor” he said doing the cross my heart and hope to die motions.

“kay now I believe you less… I know you were never a scout” Chris stuck her tongue out at him but let him drag her towards the house anyways.

It was beautiful – there were two lounge chairs out in the front lawn, and a bench on the porch by the front door. the house seem to be accented in a grey blue colour – as the window sills, front door, columns and roof all were in that tone. Street pulled out a key from his pocket and opened the door – catching Chris’ hand again. Walking through the front door Chris and Street gasped. The house was beautiful and full of light. The living room was simple yet beautifully decorated, painted white and had high vaulted naturally stained wood ceilings with two sky lights. In a corner it had a grey stone fireplace. There was a sliding door that led to a deck and the stairs to the large backyard. The kitchen also quite large with a bar and lots of natural light – it also had a beautiful dining room with a stained glass window. The master bedroom was large and had its own bathroom, the house had two more rooms and another full bathroom. The backyard was big with a garden area, and a large outdoor dining set as well, but still had enough greenspace and two large trees for a little someone to safely run around in if they wanted to.

It was perfect. Practically out of a dream. This couldn’t be real, could it?

Chris started sobbing as she took a seat on the elegant white couch in the living room.

“oh my god – why did you show me this” Chris angrily asked.

“… because I thought it’d be a great opportunity for us?” Jim asked unsure of what exactly he’d done wrong.

“ok this might just be like the house of my dreams – but even I know this is too good to be real. And now I’m going to be comparing every other place we look at to this one – and they’ll never measure up.” Chris continued sobbing.

“ok, but what if this isn’t too good to be real? What if this can actually be ours? I’m serious, Chris- and Martin was serious too – this is real” Jim tried to reassure her.

“I know you are, and I’m sure he is, but we can’t afford a place like this – especially in an area like this” Chris replied adamantly.

“ok but what if we can? I’m not talking about us trying to bite off more than we can chew, I’m just saying what if just talk to Martin and come up with a deal that works for us both. And you know there’s an extra perk here which is he knows me and he knows what our job is like, so he understands what our incomes are like because he used to be one of us too.” Jim reasoned.

“ok – but I’m going to go into this with the assumption that it’s not going work out because I don’t think I could handle falling in love with this house and not getting it.” Chris said stubbornly.

“ok – that’s fair – now let me call Martin, because he said I should call him after we looked around so we could ask him any questions and tell him what we think!” Jim said excitedly as he pulled his phone out.

It turns out Martin was serious – and Chris quickly warmed up to him. Although he was a serious man he didn’t seem to be cruel, and they agreed to calculate the rent price based on Jim & Chris’ current income. Martin also told them if they wanted they could buy any of the big furniture items that were in the house other than whatever was left of the things his mom wanted to keep. But anything they didn’t want would either be sold or picked up by a moving company he hired for next week – he then told them they could move in right after that – so in the next week and ½ to two weeks.

Chris took another walk around while Jim was finishing up with Martin. She began to make a mental list checking off the things that she liked so she could talk to Martin and his mom about buying them. Heading out with Jim after they had made sure everything was locked up Chris couldn’t believe what had just happened.

They had a house!

Chris began to get on the bike when Street said “wait – humour me for just a little bit longer” he laughed as he pulled her by the hand leading her down the sidewalk.

“where are you taking me now” she said giddily – almost skipping up to him – still on a high from the amazing gift he had just given her.

“just wait, you’ll see” he smiled.

They took their time, looking at the neighbourhood – Street seemed to know where he was going. After walking for around 15 min she finally saw it. The beach – Manhattan beach pier to be exact.

“I still can’t believe this real – are we really going to be just 15 minutes from the beach?” Chris turned to him, already tearing up.

“yeah we are” Street said pulling her into his side as they walked on to the pier.

“This is everything we wanted – I – I’m honestly not sure if I’m dreaming right now or not” Chris said still in awe. Jim pinched her hip where his hand was.

“hey!” She said as slapped his chest.

“still think you’re dreaming?” he joked.

She rolled her eyes at him giving him the silent treatment for a little while after that but still allowed him to hug her.

they stayed to watch the sun set from the end of the pier.  
“hey” She said looking over her shoulder at him who has hugging her from behind.

“what?” he said as he looked down into her eyes.

“I think I want to marry you one day” Chris smiled softly at him.

“well that’s good – because I want to marry you too” Jim sad smiling back dropping a soft kiss on her lips and hugging her tighter.

They headed back to Luca’s place not long after – all the excitement and exhaustion from the day hitting them hard – so they fell asleep as soon as their heads hit their pillows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so the house is actually real - i kinda found it online - i dont want to just drop a link or anything though since it is real and someone will live there soon so if you really want to see it let me know and I'll message you the link somehow


	29. Moving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some cute fluff for my fav couple! what did you guys think of the latest episode ???? like i've mentioned before I'm in my final semester of my undergrad so I might be really bad at updating between now and April but I do have a bit pre-written atm so i'll be slowly releasing those to buy sometime until I get some time to write again!

Despite the thrill, Chris had quickly realized the bike was definitely not a comfortable ride for a pregnant woman. The next morning she woke up even more sore than usual – and she cursed the fact that her pregnancy pillow was still at Hondo’s since she hadn’t packed it thinking she’d be going back there last night. Street was taking a shower so she stole his pillow for the time being to try and make herself more comfortable so she could maybe sleep a bit longer.

“hey” he said softly a few minutes later.

“hi” she said looking up at him to see he was only wearing a towel around his waist. If she wasn’t so sore, she’d jump him right then and there. However her train of thought was interrupted when she noticed the new bruises that now decorated half his torso. Quickly sitting up she pulled him towards her with one hand while the other softly caressed his bruised skin.

“when did this happen?” she asked not able to hide her concern from her voice.

“oh its nothing – I swear its looks worse than it is – and yesterday, you know the suspect kinda jumped me at one point, but its ok – I handled it” Jim said trying write it off as nothing, hopping that would help calm her concerns. Chris knew what the job was like, but that still didn’t seem to matter when the irrational part of her brain decided to overthink things- she knew he was careful and he did his job well but still – the fact was their job was very dangerous and one day he could end up not coming home.

“well – just promise me you’ll be more careful next time, please? Because I am not moving to that beautiful house, or raising our daughter without out you, so I really need you to stay safe ok? – especially now that I can’t be there to watch your six” Chris said – getting up and moving her arms to wrap them around his shoulders and kissing him deeply – trying to explain to him how much he meant to her through that kiss.

“ok – I promise. Piece of cake, Right?” he said as they pulled away for air.

“yeah – piece of cake” she smiled back loving that he’d brought that up. It had become a bit of a SWAT tradition – or maybe just a 20 squad tradition that the teams would always tell their partners or spouses _“piece of cake”_ in response to their _“take care”_ & _“be safe”_ whenever they got called away for an op. it was their own special way of saying “ _I promise I’ll do my best to make sure I make it home to you tonight”._

They still hadn’t told anyone the news about their new house, or the fact that they were moving in together but Chris had an idea as to how they should do it.

“Hey! so, I’ve been thinking –“ Chris started

“never a good sign” Jim joked back, finally getting back at her for when she’d said the same to him. she rolled he eyes but pulled him closer.

“what if we – host – thanksgiving dinner this year at the new house? You know – kind of like a house warming party but it also gives us a chance to celebrate us – being a couple - out in the open surrounded by everyone we love” Chris said shyly not sure what his reaction would be.

“you know? I kind of love that idea. I just have two questions though. One – will this be before or after our Instagram debut and two – who will be cooking – because I don’t think we should do it – I’m a little afraid we’ll burn the house down – and well that’d really suck specially since we’ll only have been living there for a week.” Jim considered.

“yeah – I hadn’t thought that far ahead honestly – but hey, what if we make it potluck style? Everyone brings something – and that way we only have to cook one thing instead of 10! Also I’m thinking that house will such a huge surprise all on its own, that we should probably tell everyone we’re together before hand, you know reduce the shock level – but maybe we can just not mention that we’re moving in together and then we’ll just tell them that night! and then we can give Hick’s our change of address forms after dinner or something haha” Chris laughed.

“haha ok well that sounds like a plan.”

That night they told Luca that they had found a place and would be moving in within the next two weeks – Luca congratulated them and told them to let him know if there was anything they needed – so they told him about their thanksgiving / housewarming idea, mentioning that it was going to be a potluck and asked him to invite Tuana, Kelly and Xiomara. They told him he didn’t have to tell the team anything until he was ready, but that they just really wanted all three of them there. Their next shift passed fairly fast for all of them. Chris found that she didn’t actually mind light duty, especially with how big she was getting and it was nice to have down times where she could workout, and of course also use some of that time to organize their move as well plan Thanksgiving Dinner.

They had both chickened out on telling the team about their relationship that day, but they decided to head to Hondo’s after shift so they could talk to him one on one before they shared it with the others.

“hey Hondo, you home?” Chris asked opening the front door and checking to see if anyone was there.

“hey Chris! He’s just out back in the garage with his pops” Darryl said as he rounded the corner.

“oh hey D, how was school today?” Chris asked pulling the kid into a hug and messing up his hair slightly.

“oh it was good, I got an A- on that science poster I had to made two weeks ago” Darryl laughed as he broke free from her embrace.   
“that’s awesome – good job D” Chris told him, giving him a high five.

The front door opened again as Jim came in – he had been parking Chris’ truck.

“oh hey D” Jim greeted as soon as he saw him.

“hey Street – what are you doing here?”

“well actually – we’re here to tell Hondo that Chris & I are finally together “ street shared half serious, half joking wanting to see what the reaction of the teen would be. Chris however was definitely glaring at him now.

“well it’s about damn time – I was really getting tired of seeing you two sneak around acting like nobody could notice that things have clearly changed between you two. I was starting to think I should out you myself” D dramatically lectured them. However his response made them laugh – thank god he hadn’t outed them but it was pretty funny to find out they seem to suck at sneaking around.

“so I’m guessing that means you approve of us dating?” Chris joked.

“I guess its aight – you two are kind of made for each other” Darryl told them laughing.

“hey D, who you talking to?” Came Hondo’s voice from the back of the house, having come back in.

“Chris & Street – they’re actually looking for you” Darryl answered. He started to leave once he saw Hondo was on his way to them and sent them a quick wink before heading back out to the garage.

“what’s up?” Hondo greeted as he signalled for them to come into the living room.

“um hey boss – we just wanted to talk to you about something” Chris said sitting down on the couch with Hondo while Street took one of the arm chairs.

“what’s going on?” Hondo asked, realizing this was serious.

“well – um Chris and I wanted you to be the first to know that um – we’ve decided to give _us_ a shot, and even though it’s only been a few weeks – well we’re pretty serious.” Jim said.

“well it’s about damn time. I’m happy for you two! ” Hondo said smiling and bringing Chris into a hug.

“thanks Hondo– we didn’t want to tell you until we had figured things out – but yeah, this is real” Chris told him smiling.

“ well I’m glad you finally figured it out – I was starting to think I was gonna have to intervene if you two didn’t get it together soon” Hondo laughed.

“well thankfully we didn’t need that “ Jim laughed.

“so now that we’ve told you – and since I’m on light duty – are we still ok to move forward at work without any paperwork – at least for the time being?” Chris asked tentatively

“like I’ve told you before Chris – I want to give you guys the chance to be together and you’re right, there’s no real reason at this time to start any team transfer paperwork since you’re not out with us on the field. So I don’t see any reason as to why you two can’t be together at work moving forward – but like we’ve discussed before, maybe letting Hicks know sooner than later wouldn’t be the worst thing – otherwise he might not be as lenient with you two.” Hondo said.

“ok that’s fair boss” Jim answered.

Chris stayed that night at Hondo’s once again and Jim went back to Luca’s. Before they headed to bed Chris made sure to thank Hondo and let him know that she had finally found a place and would be moving within the next two weeks. Hondo was happy for her and asked if she needed any help, but she told him it was ok because Jim was going to be helping her.

They told the rest of the team about their relationship after their next shift – and Chris invited all of them (+ their families) to the thanksgiving dinner / housewarming party at ‘her’ new place. Everyone left excited and said they couldn’t wait.

The rest of the week involved Chris and Street packing up their belongings, as well as ordering some furniture they would need. – They managed to go shopping that Friday afternoon and ordered a new bed– finally one that would be just for them. And ended up also splurging on the matching bedside tables and dresser. – because this would be their grown up room – they were starting a family after all. They also got a new sectional sofa and big soft accent chairs for the living room – ones that were also made to be durable and child proof – since that was something else they now had to consider. They left everything else for later, having bought the dining room set and a few of the other big furniture pieces from Martin’s mom.

That Sunday, Martin and his wife drove down to sign the contracts and officially give them the keys to the house. They all had dinner together to celebrate, and the couples found themselves bonding over the shared struggles and fears they had as they got closer to becoming parents for the first time. They parted ways with the promise to keep in touch and maybe one day set up a playdate for their kids to meet once they were born.

Street and Chris managed to move into the house the next day– neither was bringing much on their own, so it only took them 3 trips on Chris’ truck, and the furniture they’d ordered was set to be delivered later that same day. They had managed to get the move done quietly and all on their own not wanting anyone to see the house yet – they were saving that surprise for thanksgiving. Once Street had their Bed set up Chris collapsed on it – truly exhausted from the days events. Chris had been grumpy most of the day as Street hadn’t let her do much since it could be dangerous. She had only been allowed to carry a couple of light bags and boxes – especially since it was getting harder for her to lift things as she got bigger. However as the exhaustion hit them – she was thankful for this overprotectiveness – because despite having barely lifted a finger, her back and feet were killing her. She tried to get comfortable with her pregnancy pillow since Jim had gone off to check everything was locked and safe, probably organizing a few more things before coming to bed. But no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t fall asleep – not until she had him next to her. She hadn’t told him but ever since they started spending some of their nights together, Chris had barely been managing to get any sleep the nights he wasn’t there with her. The pregnancy pillow always helped her get physically comfortable but she always had this indescribable feeling that clawed at her when she reached out and couldn’t find him next to her. Finally deciding she should just find something to do while she waited for Street, Chris decided to grab her phone to scroll through social media. Opening up Instagram, Chris had an new idea – she was finally going to post those pictures Marina had taken. She scrolled through her photos and found her favourite 3, having the first one be a solo one of her cradling her bump that showed off her Halloween T-shirt that said ‘ _my costume this year is “exhausted, pregnant chick” how does it look?_ ’, the second one was of her and street with the t-shirts – in this one she wore the wonder woman shirt and he held up the other one, his arm other arm wrapped around her waist while they looked at each other with loving smiles. the third was her with all her nieces and nephews in costume and hugging and posing next to her belly. She tagged Street on the second picture, and her cousin Marina on the third. She decided to keep the caption simple:

Baby Alonso-Street

Coming soon - April 2020

#tb to 16 weeks

#babysfirsthalloween

#18weekstoday

Chris turned her phone off after posting it, not wanting to be kept up by all the reactions. She picked up the pregnancy book Alana had gifted her a couple of days ago when they met up. She’d just opened up the page on week 18 when she felt someone watching her. Looking up she saw Street standing in the doorway holding his phone in his hands.

“what?” she asked as if she didn’t know what she’d just done.

“I saw your post” he smiled moving closer to sit by her hip.

“good” she said simply.

“so does this mean I can post mine now too?” he asked cautiously.

“you can do whatever you want – just don’t make it super cheesy, ok?” she asked pleading a bit.

“oh but then it wouldn’t be fun” he laughed, but she gave him a glare that she was serious.

“ok ok, I’ll keep it simple” Jim laughed.

He picked up his phone and got to work, looking completely focused. A couple of minutes later he had his posted.

“done” he said as he passed her his phone.

He had picked a single picture and only Chris was tagged in it. It was one of the candids Marina had taken where street held her close with one arm around her waist – they were leaning towards each other with their foreheads touching, and their eyes closed – And Chris had her free hand cradling her bump. Honestly they looked like models – and the backyard light up behind them while the sun set just made the picture look artistic and professional. They caption said:

My world 🌎

Baby Alonso-Street

Coming soon – April 2020

Chris teared up a little and leaned forward to kiss him. Jim took his phone back and turned it off too – they didn’t work tomorrow so there were no needs for alarms.

“let’s go to sleep – I need to rest so we can properly break this bed in in the morning” she teased as she pulled away and moved to get comfortable with the pregnancy pillow.

“uh-uh, not just yet” Jim said as he pulled himself over her leaning down to kiss her deeply.

Chris unable to resist escalated the kiss herself, quickly pulling his shirt off. Street not one to be outdone then pulled her with him as he rolled on to his back, quickly pushing off the pregnancy pillow off the bed so they had more pace to manoeuvre. Chris pulled back and give him an indignant sign but didn’t stay mad for long as he had moved to kiss down her jaw and neck towards her collarbone. Finally breaking her resolve Chris exclaimed “fine we can do a quickie but then we’re going straight to sleep” she told him sternly but he knew she also wanted it because she had a mischievous smile on her face as she moved to straddle him properly leaning down to kiss him again.

By lunch time the next day their bed had been fully broken in. They had just finished their 5th round and were lounging on their bed still naked when both of their stomachs growled simultaneously – making them both laugh.

“guess we should probably get up and get something to eat” Jim said moving to get up but she quickly pulled him back kissing him languidly.

“or we could just order in” she said smiling against his lips.

“that works” he smiles, kissing her again then reaching over her to the box they were currently using as a bedside table where both of their phones were. Turning it on his phone suddenly blew up as all the notifications from his post were coming in, startling him and Chris – he quickly muted his Instagram and went into skip the dishes instead and ordered them Chinese food (Chris’ latest craving obsession = egg foo young).

They spent the rest of their day enjoying their new home and the remaining hours of the couple bubble they been enjoyed these past few weeks– ignoring the fact that tomorrow when they went back to the real world they’d have to face all the reactions – good and bad – from everyone that knew them.

By the end of that night their entire bedroom was set up as well as their living room and the kitchen. They did notice they still needed a lot in that area, but they could get by on what they had for now.

**Author's Note:**

> please let me know if you like it :) i thrive off of positive feedback!


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